


A Trophy Father's Trophy Son

by homeboytroy



Category: Bandom, Pierce the Veil, Sleeping With Sirens
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Pierce The Veil - Freeform, Sleeping With Sirens - Freeform, all time low - Freeform, flirt!Kellin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-06
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-01-14 17:54:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1275598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/homeboytroy/pseuds/homeboytroy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kellin Quinn has been dragged from his home in Michigan to sunny San Diego, California, by his mother, who is desperate for a new start. Kellin is determined to hate it here, missing his old friends, but there's something about the Fuentes boys that he likes, especially the older one, Vic. Maybe it's worth sticking around, after all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. In Which We Move And I Meet A Friend

Dear dickface,

 

Mom went through with her threat to move us out of Michigan. I don’t know what made her choose San Diego out of all places (maybe she just threw a dart at the map and decided wherever it landed would be our new home) but here we are. Our house is smaller than our old one, one story and two bedrooms, but I guess that’s all we can afford anymore. Thanks for that, by the way.

 

Unpacking sucked, mostly because it felt like a prison door slamming shut, the realization that we are actually staying here smacking me in the face, and not in the kinky, good way.

 

I guess I was in a mood all day, because mom was just a tad too peppy about the whole moving process, trying to get me enthused, I guess.

 

“C’mon, Kell-bell, it’s going to be fun! You’d been begging to redecorate your old room for years, anyway, so just think of this as a chance to go wild,” she rambled, a hopeful smile on her face. I could tell she was worried about my response by the way her grip tightened on the box she was holding, but I wasn’t going to pretend to be okay with this just to protect her delicate sensibilities.

 

“I wanted to redecorate my old room so it could be a cool hangout for me and my friends Mom. Remember my friends? The guys you made me leave back home to move halfway across the damn country?”

 

Mom sighed, setting the box she held down and brushing back her hair. “Honey, I’m sorry, you know I am, but I couldn’t stay there anymore. It was just…” She bit her lip and closed her eyes for a moment, before forcing a smile. “This place will be good for us, Kellin. I promise.”

 

I crossed my arms, giving her a look that clearly said I didn’t believe her. She dug in her pocket and thrusted a crumpled twenty dollar bill my way, a peace offering.

 

“I saw a food place up the street, maybe while I get started on this mess, you can go pick up something for lunch?” I wanted to give her a snarky response, but the hopeful look on her face stopped me. As mad as I was with her about the move, the rational part of my brain reminded me how difficult this had to be for her, too.

 

I gave a small smile and pocketed the cash. “Sure, Mom, no problem.” I turned away, but not before seeing the glowing smile on her lips.

 

The ‘food place’ turned out to be a small restaurant that didn’t do takeout orders. “Look I know it’s policy, but we literally just moved here and there is nothing to eat in our house. Can’t you take pity on us or something? It’s just a one-time thing, I promise,” I begged the old woman behind the counter.

 

“No takeout. This is good family restaurant. You sit and order food, then eat, then take home leftovers. No exceptions!” She glared at me, daring me to argue.

 

“Fine,” I muttered, gritting my teeth. “Can I have a table for one, please?” I put as much sarcasm in the question as I possibly could, but the little old lady just smiled and handed me a menu.

 

“You take that table by window. I get my boy to wait on you.” She turned around and hollered into the kitchen, “Michael,  _ vamos! Customer, bebe. *Llevar una cesta una pan, este chico es demasiado delgada _ .”

 

A tall, tattooed Hispanic boy rushed out, an apron tied hastily around his waist and a bread basket in his hands. “Yes, Abuelita,” he said dutifully, a cheerful smile lighting up his face. His eyes landed on me and he seemed to frown a bit. “** _ Usted tiene razón _ .”

 

The old woman, I guess this kids grandma, grinned. “*** _ No duda sus ancianos _ .”

 

I felt my face heat up, because they seemed to be talking about me, and I just stood there, hands shoved in my pockets. The boy chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind, Abuela.” He turned his bright smile on me. “Let’s get you set up at a table! The food here is amazing, trust me I know. Mostly cause my dad is the cook.” He laughed and stuck out his hand. “I’m Mike, by the way, Mike Fuentes. You look new, did you just move here? Because I haven’t seen you before and you look like you’re my age, so-“

 

“Michael Christopher, this is a restaurant, not a place to socialize,” chastised a middle-aged woman from behind Mike and his grandma. Secretly, I was a little grateful for the interruption. Mike seemed nice, but he was speaking so rapidly it was hard to focus, especially since I was hungry as hell. The woman looked at Mike fondly, if not a little exasperatedly. “You’re on the clock, mijo, you need to do your job. Invite the boy over sometime and you can get to know him later.”

 

Mike sighed. “Yes, Ma.” He rolled his eyes, giving me an embarrassed grin. “Sorry about that. Your table is over there, and Abuela gave you a menu, so can I get you something to drink?”

 

I made a face. “Not unless you have something bottled? Look, I didn’t really want to come here to eat. I mean, you’re right, I’m new here, and my mom just sent me to get some food to go so we can eat, but your grandma didn’t like that idea, so..”

 

Mike laughed. “Yeah, my abuela is a little set in her ways. But lucky for you, I got pull with the staff.” He winked at me before continuing. “So just order what you want, and I’ll get my dad to send it out in a couple to-go boxes.”

 

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, man. My mom would have been pissed if I came home with nothing.”

 

Mike grinned in understanding. “Moms can get that way. So, I’ve got some other tables to get to, but I’ll be back for you in a few minutes. I’d stay here and talk, but my ma would get on my case, and I have to use the money from this job to get a car, since my ass of an older brother won’t let me use his…” He trailed off, spacing for a minute before coming back to reality. He set the bread basket down, giving me a quick smile. “I’ll be back for your order in a sec, dude. Make sure you eat at least some of the bread, or else my abuela will be on my ass. She thinks you’re too skinny.” He snickered, giving me a small wave and jogging over to a table across the restaurant.

 

I looked at the menu I had been clutching and decided to order a couple of chicken fillet sandwiches; they were cheap and sounded good and quick. While I waited for Mike to make it back to my table, I observed the crowded restaurant, quietly drumming my fingers on the table.

 

“Hello there, angel from my nightmare, the shadow in the background of the morgue, the unsuspecting victim of shadows in the valley,” I sang quietly, my fingers tapping out the beat to ‘I Miss You’ by Blink182. “We can live like Jack and Sally if we- oh, hey.”

 

Mike stood at my table, grinning from ear to ear. “Hey, dude. Were you singing?”

 

I felt my cheeks heating up. “No!”

 

“You so were!” Mike crowed. “What was it?”

 

“B-blink 182, uh, ‘I Miss You’,” I muttered, brushing the black fringe out of my eyes.

 

“Nice choice, man, love Blink. You’re voice ain’t too bad, either! You should definitely come over and rock out with me, my brother, and our friends, Jaime and Tony; we’ve pretty much got a band going. I’m drums, Vic and Tony play guitar, and Jaime’s bass, but we really need a singer. I mean, I guess Vic can sing, but he never wants to…” Mike trailed off, a light flush over his cheeks. “Sorry, I was rambling, wasn’t I? Lemme get your order.”

 

Once again, most of Mike’s words had gone right over my head. Being in the car all day and unpacking must have taken more of a toll on me than I had thought. I did catch something about a band, though. “Yeah, that’d be cool. I’d love to hear you guys play. Um, can I just get two chicken fillet sandwiches? Extra bacon, please.”

 

Mike scribbled the order down on his little notepad, giving me a bright smile. “I’ll get this to my dad, and then I’ll grab your bill from the front so you’ll be all paid up by the time your food is ready.”

 

“Thanks, man,” I said gratefully, handing him my cash.

 

Mike rolled his eyes. “No problem, dude.”

 

All in all, it took about twenty minutes until my food was ready, during which Mike kept me company, chattering on about school and his band, interrupted only briefly by his mother yelling at him to get back to work. He would go with a roll of his eyes and a quick grin my way, but would end up at my table soon enough. To be honest, I was kind of grateful that he decided to keep me company, although I wouldn’t admit it. Mike was a nice, funny person, and I’d had almost no real human interaction other than my mom for three days.

 

Mike was in the middle of a story about the time he and his girlfriend had gotten caught making out in what they had thought was an empty classroom when his mother marched over, an exasperated look gracing her features. “Michael Christopher Fuentes, what am I going to do with you?”

 

Mike managed to look a little repentant, to which his mother chuckled, ruffling his hair. “Get back to work, mijo, your shift is almost over. Here’s your food, hon.” She set two medium-sized boxes on the table with a kind smile.

“Ma!” Mike complained, wriggling out of her reach. He shook his head, embarrassed, and grabbed his notepad and ripped out two pieces of paper. He scribbled quickly on one and set it down on the table. “Here, let’s trade numbers. Text me sometime and we’ll hang out!” He waited until I wrote out my number and gave him the scrap of paper before starting to walk away, but quickly spun around. “Hey, I almost forgot! Uh, what’s your name?”

 

I grinned, shoving the piece of paper in my jeans pocket. “I’m Kellin, Kellin Quinn.”

 

“See ya, Kellin!” Mike shouted over his shoulder.

 

After I took the food home, Mom and I ate quickly, devouring the sandwiches, which turned out to be the best we’d ever had. Once our food was gone, though, we kept unpacking, and by nightfall, the new place almost looked fit for human inhabitants.

 

I fell into my bed, my entire body aching. All I wanted to do was sleep for the next ten years or so, but I felt my thigh vibrate furiously. I debated whether or not to just leave it, but as it got more insistent, I groaned and grabbed my phone.

 

3 new text messages. I checked my inbox and smirked. One new message from my friend Jack, one from my other friend Justin, and surprisingly, one from Mike Fuentes.

_ \- From Jacky boy _ : hows the new place dude? Band practice sux w/o u

_ \- From Justin _ : miss us yet?

_ \- From Mike _ : hey, its mike f/ the diner.

I quickly typed back a response, telling Jack of course the band sucked without me and San Diego wasn’t nearly as good as home, sending Justin a picture of me flipping him off (with love!), and just telling Mike hey, what’s up.

 

I grinned to myself as I stared up at my ceiling. We hadn’t even been here for a full day and I’d already made a friend. Maybe this place wouldn’t be too bad.

 

_ \- Kellin _

*bring a bread basket! this boy is too thin

**You are right

***Don’t doubt your elders


	2. In Which I Gain Friends And An Enemy

_Dear Douchebag (I still find it hard to believe that someone as awful as you got anywhere near a vagina, but hey, I’m wrong about shit all the time),_

_I’ve been in San Diego for about a week now, and I guess you could say it’s growing on me. The school sucks, but then again, it is high school, so I’m pretty sure it was bound to suck either way. My first day wasn’t as hellish as I expected, though, so there’s that._

I’d managed to guilt Mom into letting me stay home for the first few days to ‘get used to my surroundings’ or some bullshit so I didn’t have to go, but Wednesday, she’d apparently decided that it was time for my ass to get back to public school by waking me up at the crack of dawn. “Kellin Quinn Bostwick, wake up! It’s time for school!”  
I groaned, rolling over and burying my face in my pillow, batting weakly in the direction of her voice with my hand. “Go away,” I grumbled, attempting to pull the covers more snugly around me. Mom, however, had other plans.

  
“Up and at’em, KB. You’ve had two days to mope around in your room playing video games, but I think it’s time to get you back into the routine. School starts at eight and its six-forty-five now, so hustle!” Mom said cheerfully, smacking my butt playfully and prancing out of my room.

  
I cracked an eye open and glanced at my alarm clock, scowling at the time. “It’s too damn early for this shit.” Unfortunately, I had probably worn out the ‘it’s too new, I need to get used to not being in Michigan anymore!’ excuse, and Mom was big on me getting an education, so she was serious about this whole school thing. Since the last thing I wanted was to show up looking like a homeless person, I shoved (or at least attempted to shove) my grumpiness to the back of my mind, trudging out of my room and into the small bathroom across the hall.

  
I peered in the mirror, eyes widening. “Shit,” I muttered, running my fingers through my bedhead. I reached back and turned the faucet on, getting the temperature just right and pulling the knob so the water streamed out of the showerhead. For some reason, when someone turned it from bath to shower, the water ran cold at first, so while I waited for it to warm up, I wet my toothbrush and smeared some Colgate on it, quickly brushing my teeth. After I was done, I stripped off my pajama pants and boxers and climbed into the steamy shower, a sigh escaping my lips when the water hit my bare skin. As much as I wanted to stay in the heavenly spray for the next few hours, I grabbed a bar of soap and made quick work of washing my body before squirting a dollop of shampoo into my hand and massaging it into my hair.

By the time I got out, it was seven-twenty, and I cussed under my breath. I loved long showers and I am not adept at doing things ‘quickly’, but at that moment, I wished I was, because at that rate, I probably wasn’t going to have time to dry and straighten my hair. I glanced in the mirror again and ran a brush through the wet black tangles. Wrapping a towel around my waist, I walked back to my room, opening my closet and pulling out a pair of clean boxers, socks, some black skinnies, and a My Chemical Romance shirt.

  
“Kellin, it’s almost time to go!” My mom yelled, poking her head in my room just as I was pulling the t-shirt over my head. She smiled. “Good, you’re almost ready. You look so handsome, baby.”

 

I rolled my eyes, a smile playing on my lips. “Thanks, Mom, but you kind of are obligated to say that. I mean, I am your kid.”

 

Mom smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Honey, if you looked bad, I’d tell you about it.”

  
“Ouch. Gee, thanks,” I muttered playfully, flicking her nose as I brushed past into the hallway. In return, she smacked the back of my head lightly, and I rolled my eyes again. She could be as much of a child as I was, sometimes.

I turned around with what I hoped was an innocent expression on my face. “So, does this mean I get to drive the Range Rover?”

Mom looked at me and laughed. “No way, Kellin, not after you and Justin totaled yours back home. I actually need my car.” I must have been pouting, because she bit her lip. “Maybe you can get a part-time job and start saving for a new one. Gran said she’d match you dollar for dollar if you earned the money. But, until then, it looks like you’re stuck with the mom-mobile.” She grinned.

“Mom, please stop trying to be cool.” But I grinned right back at her. What can I say; I got my weird sense of humor from her.

“C’mon, K, let’s get going. Don’t want to be late on the first day!” And with that, we piled into her car, her ecstatic and me back to sulking.

“I can’t believe my mom is driving me to school. I’m a junior, I should be spared this embarrassment,” I complained dramatically, hoping to get a reaction.

Unfortunately for me, my mom was used to me being a drama queen. “You’re lucky I didn’t make you walk,” she deadpanned, and I knew she would never. I didn’t even know where the school was, and even she knew if I walked, I was more likely to skip out than actually make it there.

It was only a five-minute drive from our house to the school, so, my luck, Mom would probably actually make me walk after this. She pulled up in the drop-off area and put the car in park, looking at the building and chewing her lower lip. “Do you want me to come in with you, baby?”

I held back a shudder. “I’d rather not die of mortification, so thanks, but no thanks.” I leaned over and pressed my lips to her cheek, giving her a sardonic smile. “I’m a big boy, Mom. It’s just high school.”

As I hopped out of the car, I waved at my mom, who, dear god in heaven, was actually tearing up. “See you later, honey!” She trembled, quickly driving off, probably in hopes that I wouldn’t see her little breakdown. I sighed and shook my head, turning around to face my new school.

The school itself didn’t look too bad; a long, flat brick building with two stories and a lot of windows. It was mostly the people inside of it that I was concerned about, but I’d dealt with my share of assholes before, and no stupid school would frighten me. So, I shouldered my bag and strode into the building.

●

Luckily for me, the office was right next to the entrance. I swaggered up to the secretary, giving her a practiced smirk. “Hello, ma’am,” I drawled, leaning across her desk, putting my weight onto my arms. Even though I was kind of short, I practically towered over this girl, who hardly looked to be any older than I was.

The girl looked up at me, a blush spreading across her cheeks. “H-hi, um... Uh, can I help you with anything?”

This was too easy. I winked, watching her squirm in her seat. God, they must have just hired this girl. She must have been just out of school. “Actually, you can. You see, I’m new here, and I was told to come find the prettiest girl in the office for help.” Yeah, I was kind of laying it on thick, but it was pretty entertaining, so why the hell not?

Her blush went from pink to tomato-red in an instant, and I fought the urge to grin. “Um, name?” She asked breathlessly, big blue eyes looking up at me.  
“Quinn, sweetheart, Kellin Quinn.” She giggled and started digging through a drawer with files in it, but after a few minutes of coming up with nothing, her brow scrunched. I hesitated slightly, but blurted, “It might be under Bostwick. If it is, I want it to be changed to Quinn. I don’t go by that anymore.”

The girl gave me an odd glance, but I brushed it off. So what if I didn’t like my legal last name. I didn’t want to use it, was that a crime? Standing there, doing nothing was starting to make me jumpy, so I started tapping my fingers along my thigh.

“Oh, here it is! Bostwick, Kellin.” When she noticed my glare, the girl flinched slightly and amended, “Quinn. Kellin Quinn, I’ll get that changed for you, hon.” She scribbled something down on a pad of sticky notes, reaching into the folder and pulling out a few papers and sliding them across the table to me. “Here is your schedule, locker number and combination. We don’t exactly have a welcome wagon to show you around, but if you’d like, I could call one of the students in?”

I tried not to grimace at the thought of getting a surly sidekick, before an idea hit me. “Um, actually, I think I might know one of the students here. Mike Fuentes?”

Recognition quickly lighted up her features before her lips pursed and she frowned. “That troublemaker,” she muttered, apparently thinking I couldn’t hear her, or just plain not caring. I wondered what Mike had done, but I wasn’t going to go asking. A little louder, she continued, “No, Mike wouldn’t do, because he’s only a sophomore, and you’re a junior. But, if you know one of the Fuentes…” she trailed off, and before I could ask her what in the hell she meant, she had picked up the phone on her desk and was on the intercom. “Victor Fuentes, to the front office, please. Victor Fuentes, to the office.” I could hear her voice coming through the crackly speakers in the cafeteria, and I cringed.

“What did you just do?” I wanted to screech at her, but somehow I managed to sound calm and collected.

“You said you knew the Fuentes’, so I called the older one in. Victor, he’s in your grade.”

I gritted my teeth. No, I thought bitterly, I said I knew Mike Fuentes, but I kept the smirk on my face. “Thank you, darling.”

The girl started to reply, but was interrupted by the office door opening. I turned to look at the newcomer and was stunned to see a very attractive, obviously Hispanic boy standing with a shy smile on his lips. I blinked, but quickly recovered myself. “And who might you be, handsome?” I purred, winking.

The smile disappeared as his eyes rested on me. The boy, who happened to be a few inches shorter than me, rolled his eyes. “Your worst nightmare, kid,” he replied, annoyed, and marched up to the secretary’s desk. “You called me?”

Oh, so this was Mike’s brother. Well, shit. Maybe I ought to thank Miss Giggles for getting me some eye candy. Then again, I’m not exactly the most polite person, so probably not.

“Hi, Victor,” the girl said dreamily, twirling the ends of her cherry-red hair. “Um, I called you because –”

“Because I’m new and I need a seeing-eye dog, so to speak,” I interjected, giving my most charming smile. Victor glanced at me with irritation, looking back at the secretary for confirmation.

She seemed a little flustered, frowning at me. “Well, I’m not sure that’s quite the metaphor I would use, but yes. Mr. Fuentes, this is Kellin Quinn. He transferred from Michigan, and needs help finding his way for the first few days. He said he knew Mike, but since Mike is a sophomore, and you two are both juniors, I assumed you could show him around.”

Victor sighed. “Ms. James, I told you, please, call me Vic. Victor is my dad.” He turned to me and narrowed his eyes. “You said you know Mike?”  
“Uh, yeah,” I verified, a little disappointed. Is that really what he wanted to know?

Vic sighed again, messing with the red beanie that partially hid his shoulder-length brown curls. “Okay, I guess I’ll show you around then. Come on, new kid.” He turned on his heel and exited the office, motioning for me to follow with a wave of his hand. I scowled, not liking the fact that he expected me to trail after him, but then, that’s what the girl (Ms. James, I think?) called him in for.

After a moment’s hesitation, I trailed after him, jogging a little to catch up. “So, Sexican, where are we going?” I said coyly, grinning at the annoyed expression on his face.

“Sexican?” He questioned, his tone suggesting boredom. Well, I couldn’t have that, now could I?

“A combination between sexy and Mexican; I think it suits you,” I informed him with a wink. Instead of the usual blush, I was faced with a deadpan stare.

“Look, dude, I’m only doing this because somehow, you know my brother. Could you stop with the flirting?” Vic pleaded, looking pained.

I raised a brow. “Who says I’m flirting? Maybe this is just how I am.”

I could see Vic grit his teeth. “Let’s go,” he muttered, curving around a table and heading straight for the center of the cafeteria.

“Go where?” I asked as I hurried to keep up with him.

“Class doesn’t start until eight-fifteen, and until then, I hang out with my friends. I would tell you to go do whatever until then, but I’d rather not have to search for you in twenty minutes, so you’re coming with me,” Vic explained, coming to a stop at a circular table that was inhabited by three other guys, all heavily tattooed, and taking a seat beside a spiky-haired Mexican kid.

I felt a little awkward, but I did recognize at least one face. “Mikey!” I slid onto the bench next to the tall boy easily, grinning and elbowing him lightly.

Mike beamed. “Sup, dude? I didn’t know you were coming to my school! But I guess I should have expected you to be in this district, if you only live a few blocks away from the diner.” He punched my shoulder playfully. “Lemme see your schedule!”

I obliged, handing it over without a fight. While Mike was busy comparing our classes, I looked around at the other guys, who were looking at me curiously.

I looked Vic’s way expectantly, raising my eyebrows. He sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. “This is Jaime Preciado,” he gestured to the spiky-haired kid, who grinned in my direction with a wave of his hand, “and Tony Perry,” with a nod towards the other tall, tattooed boy, who offered a shy smile which I gladly returned.

I smirked. “Lovely to meet you. I’m Kellin Quinn, and I’m gay.”

Jaime choked on the drink of milk he had been taking, almost spitting it back out; Tony blushed tomato-red; and both Fuentes boys seemed to be frozen in their seats. I crossed my arms and watched them, waiting.

Mike was the first one to recover, patting my back gently. “Uh, that’s kind of a weird intro to go with, dude, but‘s cool with me. I mean, I don’t swing that way myself, but, um... Vic, what’s that saying? ‘To each his… something?’”

The elder Fuentes seemed to come back to life, rolling his eyes at his little brother. “It’s ‘to each his own’, Mike.” He glanced at me and pursed his lips. “You could have been a little more subtle, Quinn. You almost shocked Jaime to death.”

I shrugged. Jaime looked fine to me, so I wasn’t too worried about it. I had been more worried about their reactions. Mike was fine with it, and Vic seemed to be, but the other two hadn’t really said anything. I knew it was a little shocking to introduce myself that way, but there was no way in hell I would hide who I was just to get people to like me. Might as well get it out there sooner rather than later.

“I think it’s cool you’re so chill with who you are,” Tony said softly, his voice crystal clear despite the low hum of hundreds of other conversations going on around us.  
Once Jaime finally got his milk down, he grinned at me, reaching over the table to ruffle my hair. “Yeah, dude. We aren’t judgmental here. I mean, why would we be? Especially Vic; he’s gay, too!”

Vic glared at his friend, who was apparently not supposed to let that little tidbit slip. I was intrigued, though; if Vic was gay, then why did he seem so impervious to my flirting?  
I was pulled out of my reverie by a voice calling my name. “… Kellin? Earth to Kellin!” Mike sing-songed, flicking the tip of my nose to get my attention.

I squirmed away, frowning. “Ouch. No need to get physical.”

Mike rolled his eyes, smirking. “Big baby. I was trying to ask if you wanted to come over after school and hang out or something. We don’t have any classes together except gym, which I refuse to go to on principle-”

“Yeah, the principle of you being scrawny,” Jaime interrupted with a cheeky grin, making Vic and Tony laugh and Mike blush angrily.

“I am not scrawny!” He protested vehemently, raising his middle finger in Jaime’s direction and continuing where he left off. “As I was saying before some idiot interrupted me, we don’t technically have any classes together, and I got the new GTA for Xbox, so you wanna hang?”

I pretended to think about it for a minute before smirking. “Hell yeah!”

Mike grinned, and we bumped fists. “Nice. Do you have a ride? Cause Vic has a car, and he usually drives us all, so you could just come with us. There’s room in the back for Kellin, right, bro?”

Vic glared at his younger brother, obviously not exactly pleased with the idea, or at least with Mike not asking him before inviting me, but he sighed and consented. “Yeah, there’s room. Just make sure you text Mama and tell her we’re bringing someone over, Mike.”

Mike immediately pulled out his phone and began tapping away at the screen, and I held back a yawn, still a little tired. I rested my head in my hands, listening with half an ear to the guys’ back-and-forth, until it became a faded into a low hum, background noise.

It felt like only minutes later that I was jarred from my spacing out by a loud bell. I jumped slightly, blinking. “What the fuck?” I muttered, glancing around to see Mike, Tony, Jaime, and Vic trying not to laugh.

“Didja fall asleep, Kell?” Jaime teased, dimples showing, and I glowered weakly, trying and failing to be pissed at the playful provocation.

“Little bit, yeah,” I confessed, lips quirking up slightly.

“Well, come on, let’s get to class,” Vic beckoned, and I sighed, taking my schedule back from Mike. I followed Vic down the hall, waving in Mike’s direction quickly. Vic turned around, grabbing my schedule out of my hands, and I yelped in protest.

“That’s mine!”

Vic rolled his eyes. “No shit, Sherlock. But if I’m supposed to get you to your classes, then doesn’t it make sense that I should know what classes you have?”

I couldn’t really argue with the logic of that, but I still felt a little disgruntled. “You could have asked.”

Vic snorted. “That would require us talking.”

“What, am I too disgusting to talk to?” I retorted, pissed off. Vic writing me off shouldn’t have stung as much as it did, but I hadn’t done anything to make him dislike me, other than flirt a little. I was a friendly fucking person, dammit!

“No, you’re a flirt,” Vic said decisively, eyes scanning the classroom doors before settling on one. “Here, this is your first class, English III. You can keep your bag with you; Mr. Peters won’t care, plus you’ll probably need it to haul the books you’ll get. I’ll be back to get you when this is over; we have the next two periods together.” Which he sounded distinctly unhappy about.

I jutted out my lower lip. “I’m hurt, Victor, that you would think so low of me. It’s not my fault I was paired up with an irresistible Mexican I can’t stop imagining nak-”

Vic slapped his hand over my mouth before I could finish, and I smirked against his fingers. He looked bleak, as if he was regretting agreeing to this whole thing in the first place. “Just go to class,” he said tiredly. “I have to go now, or I’ll be late. So, just, could you please refrain from making sexual remarks at everyone? It’s annoying, but I can handle it. I’d rather you not get sent to the principal’s office on your first day for sexual harassment.”

I smirked again, and as soon as his hand was removed from my mouth, I taunted, “Why, Vic? Do you care about me?”

Vic seemed to realize his mistake and groaned. “Just- you know what- whatever, get sent to the office for all I care!” He muttered, flustered, whipping around and stalking off.

“Only if you’re coming too, baby!” I called after him, winking even though I knew he couldn’t see me. Today was going to be very, very fun.

_-Kellin_


	3. In Which School Pretty Much Sucks, But Hey I Make Friends

Needless to say, walking into English was awkward as fuck. A whole classroom full of people judging me on my clothes and the sound of my higher-than-the-average-male’s voice. Freaking wonderful. Not to mention the teacher, Mr. Peters looked as if he was older than dirt itself. His rheumy eyes landed on me almost immediately and a slow smile curved on his lips. “You must be our new student,” he said in the soft, wobbly voice common to the elderly. “Kellin Bostwick?”  
I closed my eyes briefly, inhaling sharply. “Quinn. I prefer Kellin Quinn.”  
“Of course, of course. Welcome to English III, young man. Let me get you a syllabus while you find a seat.” Mr. Peters turned, digging through sheaths of papers on his desk, and I internally cursed him. Of course he expected me to find my own seat; simply assigning me one to avoid the awkward ‘I don’t know anyone so who do I sit next to’ anxiety was too much to hope for.  
So, being the cool kid that I am, I fixed a smirk on my lips, making sure to ogle the attractive guys and girls (I am gay, but I still appreciate attractiveness in any gender) as I strutted down the aisle of desks.  
“Sorry I’m late, I ran into someone and had to help them pick up their things, then Mrs. Greer needed to talk to me, and, well, I’m late,” a rushed voice justified, and I glanced over my shoulder to see the newcomer.  
Mr. Peters sighed, looking Jaime up and down. “Mr. Preciado, you’ve been late twice already this semester, and term only began a week ago. One more tardy and it’s detention.”  
Jaime just grinned, saluting Mr. Peters and starting to take his seat. Once his eyes landed on me, however, he changed direction. “Kellin! Hell yeah, you’re in my class? You can sit with me, dude, this is awesome.”  
I was about to respond when I heard Mr. Peters clear his throat noisily. “Mr. Preciado, what have I told you about swearing in the classroom?” He chastised, glaring weakly at Jaime and I. “Please take your seats so we can begin the lesson.”  
Jaime chuckled and grabbed my arm, guiding me to a table in the back of the room. He tossed his binder and books onto it carelessly, sliding into one of the chairs and almost immediately began jiggling his leg. I hung my book bag off of the back of my chair, sitting down and pulling out a tattered notebook and pencil.  
The rest of the period was spent drawing and listening to Jaime’s commentary, chuckling when he pointed out people he felt it was necessary for me to know, such as Tay Jardine, who threw the best parties; Maria Addison, proud holder of the record for most hookups in a single weekend; Sean Miller, minor drug dealer; Alex Gaskarth, notorious partier and womanizer; Jack Barakat, who was suspected of having feelings of the lustful sort for his best friend, Alex; and Nick Ortega, who would hook up with anyone, guy or girl.  
●  
The bell signaling the end of first period echoed through the school, and I hurried to put my things away. All I’d gained from this class was a tattered copy of Hamlet and Jaime’s commentary on the rest of the students in the class, although I had to admit, that was pretty funny.  
Jaime ruffled his hair absently, eyes trained on me. “So what class do you have next?” he asked as we shuffled towards the door.  
I glanced down at my schedule and chuckled. “Music with Mrs. Kane.” And Vic.  
“Lucky; I have Chemistry,” Jaime complained, wrinkling his nose. He glanced around the hallway, a slight frown on his lips. “Do you want me to hang here with you until Vic shows up?”  
I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “Nah, man, I’m good. Go to class, don’t wanna get detention,” I teased, smirking at him.  
Jaime flipped me off, grinning. “Hey, my Chem teacher is fucking hot. I wouldn’t mind having to stay after school with that.” His eyes glazed slightly and he licked his lips. “‘Yes, Ms. Samson, I’ve been a bad, bad boy!’”  
Jaime and I snickered at his impression and I waved. “Catch ya later, Himes!”  
“I see you’re getting along with Jaime,” Vic murmured from behind me, and I jumped. He was leaning up against some lockers, one eyebrow cocked.  
“You don’t just sneak up on people like that, Jesus!” I growled, glaring. He seemed unimpressed with my display of anger and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, well?  
I smirked, trying to calm my nerves. “Yeah, he’s pretty cool. He sure as hell made English a lot more enjoyable, not to mention he’s not too hard on the eyes.” I winked while Vic looked disgusted. “Where to next, Sacagawea?”  
“Is everything flirting with you?” Vic demanded, not moving an inch.  
I fought the urge to roll my eyes, instead giving a simpering smile. “Of course not! There’s also sex. I’ve been told I’m quite the lay.”  
“Well, cut it out. Jaime’s straight, and so is Tony,” Vic muttered defensively, pushing off the locker and tramped down the hall.  
I hurried to catch up, grinning. It was only second period and I was pretty sure I had found a new hobby: annoying Vic. “They can always be turned. Sexuality is fluid, Victor; everyone is at least a little bit gay.” And to annoy him some more, I gave another wink, making sure he saw.  
When he didn’t respond to that, I continued on. “Or maybe I could try Mike,” I said carefully, grinning as Vic’s jaw tightened. “I mean, he is a fine piece of ass. I’ve never fucked someone with so many tattoos befo-”  
Before I knew what was happening, Vic’s forearm was pressing against my throat and my body was slammed up against cold metal, feet a few inches off of the ground. “Pretty strong for someone so pretty,” I wheezed, wanting to giggle at the ferocious expression on Vic’s face. I inhaled through my nose and fought the urge to sigh. He smelled like cinnamon and orgasms.  
His face was only inches from mine, and decided, why the hell not? He’s already got me pinned. Might as well make it interesting. I looked straight into his brown eyes, giving a shy smile before licking my lips slowly. I bit into the soft flesh, eyes darting down to look at his lips and back up to his eyes, moving the angle of my head infinitesimally.  
And I was back on the ground. I doubled over and rubbed my throat, letting out a few noises experimentally. “Were you trying to wreck my vocal chords?” I rasped, scowling, once I was almost positive that my voice would be fine.  
Vic rolled his eyes. “Don’t talk about fucking my brother. Now come on, we’re going to be late.” And off he strolled.  
“Can’t you take a joke?” I snapped. “I wasn’t serious. Yeah, Mike’s good looking, but totally not my type. Definitely friend status.”  
“Your jokes aren’t funny to me, and good. Keep it in your pants.”  
“Why don’t you want me to go after your brother? What, are you homophobic?” I taunted.  
Vic glared at me. “Class is this way,” he hissed, nodding to a door a few feet from us. I followed him through the door and grinned as I noticed Tony in the back corner. Vic made a beeline for his table, and I was right behind him.  
“You never answered me, Victor. Are you, or are you not, homophobic?” I asked sweetly, watching his jaw clench as he took the seat next to Tony. I glanced around and pulled up another chair, plopping down into it and giving the shy boy a grin. “Hey, Tone!”  
Tony smiled in return, if a little distractedly, watching the back-and-forth between Vic and I with amusement. “I’m fucking gay, you idiot, how in the world could I be homophobic? Just because I don’t want you messing with my brother or my friends just means I’m protective. Besides, Mikey has a girlfriend, and he doesn’t need you fucking that up for him,” Vic remonstrated.  
Vic’s little speech piqued my interest. “A girlfriend? Tell me about her.”  
Vic groaned, rubbing his eyes. “Why? What interest could you possibly have in Harleigh?”  
“Oo, I like her name. What else? And, Mr. Grumpy, I’m interested because so far, Mike is my only friend here, and I’m curious. So spill.”  
“I’m your friend,” Tony offered quietly, and I beamed, holding out my hand for a fist bump, which he gladly reciprocated, knocking his fist against mine while Vic glowered.  
I turned to Vic, waiting for a response. He hesitated. “If I tell you, will you please shut up?”  
“It’s a possibility.”  
All three of us shut up as a young, attractive blonde strode into the room with a big smile on her face. “Hey, guys, welcome to music class.” Her gaze swept across the students and seemed to zero in on me almost immediately. “You must be our new student, Kellin, correct? I’m Mrs. Kane, welcome to Clairemont.” She grinned at me before starting to write on the whiteboard.  
I looked at Vic expectantly, and he sighed. “Fine,” he muttered under his breath. “Harleigh is a freshman with Mike, she’s fifteen and plays guitar. She met Mike at a party this summer and they’ve been dating since. She’s got brown hair and eyes, glasses that she wears sometimes, and she’s pretty. She’s also pretty sarcastic, and hilarious. She takes crap from no one, calls Mike on his bullshit all the time, but is also the most lovable kid I’ve ever met.”  
“From how you’re talking, it sounds like you’re in love with her,” I accused, eyes narrowing.  
Vic shot a glare in my direction. “She’s my little brother’s girlfriend, and I’m gay, you idiot. I’m not in love with her, I just like her. She’s cool, you know? One of my best friends.”  
“I have to meet this chick,” I whisper-crowed, grinning. “Maybe I can get her to dish the dirt on you.”  
“She’s got some stories that would knock your socks off,” Tony chuckled, eyes crinkling.  
Vic glared in Tony’s direction, snapping his head back to scowl at me. “You will not. You’ll stay away from her; she doesn’t need someone like you in her life.”  
“What does that mean?” I hissed, scowling right back at him. I wasn’t that bad. Vic’s clear dislike of me was getting old, quick. Everyone else in his little group seemed to like me, so what gives?  
“It means I know your type, Quinn. Harleigh’s had it kind of rough, so I’m not going to let you get near enough to hurt her.”  
“Wow, you really are protective,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “I wouldn’t hurt her, I’m not a monster. What, can’t I have friends?”  
Vic’s expression softened slightly, and he exchanged a look I couldn’t decipher with Tony before turning his gaze upon me again. “Yeah, you can have friends. Look, I’m just really protective, always have been. I don’t like letting my friends get hurt, and I don’t trust people easily. I don’t mean to be a giant dick.”  
I squirmed, uncomfortable with the weird feeling in my chest. So I did what I always do. “I’d love to see your giant dick,” I breathed, wiggling my ass in my seat. Tony blushed, attempting to hide his laughter, quickly morphing it into a cough when he noticed Vic’s enraged expression.  
“You can’t be serious for two seconds,” Vic seethed, shaking his head.  
“Someone is on their man-period,” I teased under my breath, leaning around Vic to lock eyes with Tony, who cracked a smile.  
“Harleigh would fucking kill you for that joke,” Vic remarked, a little cheered by the thought of it.  
I opened my mouth to retort, but Mrs. Kane seemed to be finished writing on the board, turning towards the class. “Okay, guys, I have an announcement. Pay attention, this is for a big part of your grade. We’re going to be composing a piece of music for the first half of the semester! The piece can be about whatever you like, although I’d appreciate it if you tried to keep the lyrics PG13, or at least brought a radio-acceptable version to play at school.” She winked at us, and I found myself liking this woman more than I had anticipated.  
“Anyway, as fun as this sounds, there are some guidelines.” Groans erupted, but Mrs. Kane just chuckled. “Hey, it’s an assignment! You really thought it was going to be that easy? Look, there aren’t too many rules, but I have to have some. Firstly, the piece has to be at least two minutes long, and it must include at least one instrument and vocals. I’m going to let you pick your own groups, and if you’re multitalented or know someone outside of the class who can play an instrument or sing on your track, then I am willing to allow people to work alone, although I’m not sure I would recommend it.  
“I’m going to need reports on your progress throughout the quarter, but other than having a little meeting to discuss things, classes from now until the end of the quarter are yours to brainstorm and create.” And with that, she sat down at her desk.  
I grinned; this was the kind of assignment I could get behind. All I needed was a partner. I knew I could sing, but I had never learned to play an instrument. I could hear Vic and Tony murmuring about partnering up together, but I was too busy scanning the room for someone interesting-looking. My gaze landed on a pale brunette boy with colorful tattoos adorning his arms, neck, and more than likely, his chest, as well as other places. “Who’s that?” I interrupted, nodding to the boy.  
Vic and Tony exchanged nervous glances. “Um, that’s Oliver Sykes,” Tony said quietly; I was still staring at Oliver but I could feel Vic’s gaze on me.  
“What’s up with him?”  
This time it was Vic who answered me. “He moved here from England a few years ago. He seemed like a nice enough kid at first, but he started running with a wild crowd. He doesn’t socialize much, but I’ve heard he’s insanely intelligent.”  
I raised an eyebrow, impressed. The kid was gorgeous and had a rep. I got up from my seat and started to move, but someone’s hand gripped my wrist. I glanced down, brows furrowed, yanking my arm out of Vic’s reach. “Dude, what are you doing?”  
Vic’s jaw clenched, and Tony frowned. “Just… Sykes is bad news, Kellin.”  
“I can handle myself, Tone,” I said, softening slightly. “But thanks for the advice.” I glanced at Vic, who was determinedly looking anywhere but at me. “Besides, I don’t think Vic really wants me to join your guys’ group, anyway.” I gave a half-hearted smirk, because dammit, Vic’s rejection was kind of getting to me (I am not a freaking sap, okay, rejection is just not peoples’ usual reaction to me) and continued towards Oliver Sykes.  
He was sitting alone, feet propped up on his desk and leaning back into his chair, phone in his lap. His eyes swiveled up from the cell screen to rest on my face as I approached. “Want something, mate?”  
Dat accent. God, the things I would do to him. Bad Kellin. Stop imagining having British accent dirty talk to you.  
“You alright, love? You seem a bit distracted.”  
I blanched, blushing slightly at his words. “Yeah, I’m fine. You’re Oliver, right?”  
He wrinkled his nose. “Call me Oli, mate. Siddown, let’s talk.” He nodded to the chair beside him, and I eased into it as gracefully as I could. “Alright, talk, then.”  
“I was thinking, this whole assignment thing… well, I’m new. I figured maybe you’d like to take a chance on me?” I said lightly, watching his expression.  
I was fully unprepared for him to look me up and down and smirk lustfully. “I’m sure we can work somethin’ out, luv.”  
●  
The rest of the school day seemed to melt away. New teachers, more books to lug in my backpack, dozens of new faces that seemed to blur together sometime around lunch, and finally, it was time to go home. Thank god. I had previously thought high school on a regular day was the worst thing imaginable. I had been wrong. Being the new kid in junior year was the worst thing, hands down.  
Fortunately, I had Vic in five out of my eight classes, which kept me entertained. And thankfully, he was in my last class of the day, which meant all I had to do was follow him out to the parking lot for my ride.  
“Whoa, this is your car?” I breathed, eyes wide as I gazed upon the cherry red ’67 Chevrolet Camaro. I wanted to touch it, just to make sure it was real, but I refrained myself. Somehow.  
Vic smirked, his fingers trailing over the hood. “Yeah, she’s all mine. Got it as a junker for my fourteenth birthday; my dad and I fixed her up, though.”  
“Yeah, I’ll say,” I muttered, shaking my head in disbelief.  
“Hey, you lazy bums, hurry up!” Vic yelled over the top of the car, and I quit my fangirling to whip around, grinning as I saw Jaime, Tony, Mike, and a short girl that I assumed was Harleigh jog across the parking lot.  
“Kell, dude, how was your first day?” Mike asked excitedly as he got near. His arm was around the tiny brunette, who eyed me curiously.  
“Pretty good, as good as school can get, I guess. Who’s this?” I questioned, giving the girl my ‘ladies love me’ smirk. She seemed unimpressed.  
Mike snorted, giving the girl’s shoulders a squeeze. “Kellin, this is my girlfriend, Harleigh. Hurls, this is the guy I was tellin’ you about, Kellin Quinn. He’s gonna be hanging with us from now on.”  
I lifted Harleigh’s hand to my lips and smiled against her skin. “Pleasure to meet you, beautiful,” I said in a husky voice. I started to grin, but felt a sharp pain on my arm, and blinked. The little chick had pinched me. Hard! And she was grinning about it! “What the fuck was that for?”  
Harleigh looked very pleased with herself, while Mike was giggling like a girl, and I could hear the other guys chuckling. “It was for behaving like an idiot. I have a boyfriend and you’re gay, dumbass.”  
“So you pinch me?! You couldn’t have just told me to stop being a dumbass?” I bellowed, rubbing my upper arm.  
Harleigh just rolled her eyes, grinning, taking Mike’s hand and climbing into the backseat of Vic’s car. I watched, dumbfounded, until everyone was in the car but Vic and I.  
“I told you she didn’t take anyone’s crap,” Vic chortled, grinning at me, looking more pleased than I’d seen him all day.


	4. In Which Vic Gets Very, Very Mad

As it turned out, the Fuentes’ only lived a few blocks away from our new place. Their house was modest, two stories, with flowers hanging on the windowsill and a small garden on the side. Vic parked carefully on the side of the curb, threatening death to anyone who scratched or door-dinged his baby.  
Mike snickered as he climbed out from the backseat, making sure Vic noticed him going to slam the door. “You wouldn’t dare, Michael,” Vic hissed, glaring daggers at his younger brother. Mike seemed to consider it, but before he could actually do anything, Harleigh put her hand on his arm, giving him a sharp, reproachful look.  
“Fine,” Mike groaned, closing the car door gently. Harleigh gave an approving smile and started towards the house, but Mike caught her from behind, his arms twining around her waist and chin resting on her shoulder. “Do I get a kiss since I was good, baby?”  
Harleigh deliberated for a moment before giggling and pecking him on the lips lightly, leaning into the embrace. “’Course, Mikey.”  
Jaime squealed with glee. “Mike, dude, you are so whipped!” He crowed, holding up his hand for high-fives. Vic immediately acquiesced, smacking their hands together, while Tony rolled his eyes, pursing his lips for a moment before half-heartedly high-fiving his friend.  
Mike rolled his eyes. “Dude, I’ve got a great girl who loves hanging, puts up with you three idiots, and fucks me on the regular. Do I look like I give a flying fuck if I’m whipped or not?”  
Vic chuckled. “I can’t say I disagree with him, Hime-Time. Hurley is pretty great, and she’s the one person shorter than me!” He teased, ruffling Harleigh’s hair.  
“Victor,” Harleigh whined, squirming to get out of his reach. “Mike, control your brother!”  
Mike looked torn between wanting to laugh at his brother’s antics and defending his girlfriend. He eyed me, glancing over at Vic meaningfully and jerked his head in Vic’s direction, holding up three fingers from behind Harleigh’s back. Three. Two. One!  
I pushed myself off of the ground, running at Vic and bending over slightly. My shoulder killed as it impacted with his stomach, but I tried to ignore it, wrapping my arms around his ass and lifting him over my shoulder.  
“What in the fuck are you doing, you fucking half-wit?!” Vic screeched, nearly deafening me. I could hear Mike, Harleigh, Jaime and Tony laughing in the background, and I smirked. Vic’s entire body wriggled and squirmed, trying to get out of my grasp, and I smirked, squeezing his ass. I expected him to get pissed and a little mouthy, but instead, he swung his leg and kneed me in the chest, knocking the wind out of me.  
“Ungh,” I grunted, attempting to keep my balance, my lower chest throbbing. Dumbass packed a punch – or, well, a kick. Adding Vic’s squirming to my not-so-great balance, I wobbled and yelped as I felt myself fall, colliding with the ground, hard, Vic landing on top of me.  
I groaned, sitting up. “Fuck,” I muttered, rubbing my stomach. “Dude, that hurt!”  
Vic glared. “Good,” he said viciously, quickly straddling me. I smirked, ready to make a sexual remark, but instead I saw stars as Vic’s fist pounded into my jaw.  
“Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucking shit!” I screamed, pushing Vic off of me and cradling my jaw.  
“You complete douche, Vic, what the fuck!” Mike yelled, running over to me. “I fucking told him to screw with you, get mad at me, idiot, don’t punch the new kid!”  
Harleigh gently pried my hands away from my face and peered at me, frowning a little. “Come on, sweetie, let’s go get you some ice for that. Hopefully before it swells up.” She gave Vic a disapproving look, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and helping me up. “Mike,” she muttered, “help me. He’s heavier than he looks.”  
Mike was quick to wrap an arm around my waist, helping me stand on shaky legs. “You okay, Kell?” He asked cautiously, toying with his lip piercing.  
“Fine,” I muttered, a pained smile on my lips. “Just remind me never to listen to you again.”  
“I could have told you that,” Harleigh joked, grinning. As we reached the front door, she ordered, “One of you idiots get over here and open the door for me, please.”  
I could hear a slight scuffle and muttered conversation, and a few minutes later, Vic trudged forward, yanking the door open, looking a little rueful. I ignored him, shrugging off Mike and Harleigh’s arms. “I can walk by myself, I was just a little shaken up at first.” At their cautious looks, I sighed. “I’m fine,” I insisted, and winced. Talking hurt my jaw.  
Harleigh sighed. “Come on.” She grabbed Mike’s hand, leading the way into the Fuentes’ home. I hardly had a chance to look around before I was in the kitchen, being pushed (gently, but still) into a chair. “Sit,” Harleigh said sternly, whipping around and digging through a few drawers, looking at home. Mike leaned against a counter, smiling like a lovesick fool.  
“Mikey’s in looooove,” I taunted, but immediately regretted it. The sharp pain in my jaw increased and Mike smirked at me. “That’s what you get for being a dick!” Mike teased.  
Harleigh rolled her eyes at us. “You two are children, I swear,” she muttered, pressing the ice dispenser on the refrigerator, catching the ice in a dishcloth. Once she decided she had enough ice, Harleigh wrapped the cloth around it and turned towards us. “This should help,” she murmured, pressing the cloth against my jaw and I groaned, the coldness feeling wonderful on my injury.  
“Thanks,” I muttered, a light blush staining my cheeks as our hands brushed, her letting go of the makeshift icepack and me taking hold of it. I wasn’t used to people caring for me. Even my mom, ever since dickwad left, had been more and more absent. By then, I had learned to just care for myself. It felt nice having someone else do it, though.  
“For real, man, how are you feeling? Vic’s kinda small, but he can punch,” Mike pointed out, his hand capturing his girlfriend’s and threading their fingers together absently.  
“And kick,” I added, suddenly remembering the dull ache on my abdomen. With my free hand, I lifted my shirt, cussing under my breath as I saw the beginnings of a bad bruise starting to form.  
Harleigh gasped at the sight of my stomach, reaching over to pinch Mike’s bicep lightly. “Michael! You got him hurt, twice. His parents are never going to let him come back again, that is, if he even wants to.”  
I scowled, letting my shirt drop. “I can make my own decisions; my mom isn’t in charge of me. Besides, it’s not like I’m going to tell her what really happened. I’ll just tell her some kid got mad ‘cause I was gay, but I handled it.”  
Mike’s eyes were wide and apologetic. “Dude, I am so freaking sorry, I swear, I didn’t think Vic would react like that. He never gets violent when me or one of the guys screws with him… but I guess since he’s not used to you, he probably got defensive. Sorry, Kell, I wasn’t thinking. I don’t want you to have to lie to your mom about your jaw.” He glanced at my stomach and cringed, adding in a quiet voice, “and your chest.”  
“Don’t worry about it,” I said around the icepack. “Used to get in fights all the time back in Michigan. Surprise, surprise; the rural Midwest isn’t all that accepting of gays quite yet. Shocker.” I forced a laugh, the mere action causing pain to shoot through my stomach and my face, and I winced. Mike and Harleigh started forward, but I waved them down. “I’m fine. Just a little collateral damage. Maybe I shouldn’t have fucked with Vic so much today. He might not have hit me so hard.” I smirked, the ice starting to numb the pain.  
Mike forced a grin. “What did you do?” He asked, partially because he was genuinely curious and also because he seemed to be trying to change the subject and clear the tension from the room.  
I snorted, shaking my head. “Flirted, a lot, and when that stopped working, said something about trying to turn Jaime, Tone, or you. The usual shit until he slammed me against a locker for talking about fucking his brother.”  
Mike looked horrified, and I feared I had overstepped. I mustered a smirk and said, “You know I don’t actually want to fuck you… Just a joke to get a reaction out of your hot brother. Hime or Tony, either, actually; you guys aren’t my type. No offense.”  
Harleigh bit her lip, glancing between Mike and I. She nudged her boyfriend’s side, teasing, “Good thing, huh, Mikey? Cause I know how you get for a pretty face, and Kellin is almost prettier than me.” She winked, and I started to relax a bit. At least she wasn’t pissed at me for talking about hypothetically fucking her boyfriend.  
Mike blinked, coming out of whatever trance he had been in. He chuckled, although it didn’t sound quite genuine. “Prettier than you, Hurls? That person doesn’t exist, and you know it. Although Kellin would have to take second place.” He pulled Harleigh into his arms again, nuzzling her neck, but not before giving me an eye-crinkling smile that let me know we were okay. I breathed a sigh of relief.  
“So… video games?” I tossed out, after watching them hold each other for a few minutes. Mike looked up, brows knitting together in confusion for a moment before the words seemed to register.  
“Oh, yeah, video games! Follow me, dude!”  
I pushed myself up from the chair, following Mike and Harleigh through a hallway that led to a set of stairs. “Mike’s room’s up here,” Harleigh explained in a whisper, flashing me a grin. “All of the games and stuff are in either his or Vic’s room.”  
I nodded in understanding, a little grateful for her explanation although I had pretty much assumed the same thing. We trudged up the narrow stairwell, one after another, and were faced with two white doors. Mike seemed to hesitate slightly, chewing his lower lip, before reaching for the door on the left and shepherding us inside. “So, uh, I know I said I got GTA, but that’s for the Xbox, and that’s kinda in Vic’s room, and since, y’know…” He gestured vaguely to my face and abdomen, “I figured maybe Wii?”  
I shrugged, grinning. “Wii’s cool, although I’m not sure how much fun I’ll be, what with one hand.” I pointed at my icepack, and Mike frowned slightly. “It’s cool, dude, I can just watch you play.”  
“If you’re sure,” Mike said uncertainly, glancing at Harleigh for reassurance. She shrugged, and Mike seemed to take that as an okay. “Okay, then, you at least gotta take the bed while you watch me kick Harleigh’s ass at Mario Kart.” He smirked at his girlfriend and she rolled her eyes.  
I glanced at the mattress and boxspring in the corner, covered by a collection of blankets, and I nodded, sprawling out on it. “Aren’t you supposed to let your girlfriend win? Like, for chivalry or some shit?”  
Mike and Harleigh took their gaming positions (criss-cross applesauce on the floor, backs leaned up against the bed, hands curled into claws around their respective controllers) while Mike fiddled with the Wii, turning it on. “Look,” Mike began, selecting the game, “see, I’m a gentleman. Chivalry is what I do. I’ll open the door, pull out her chair, buy her drinks, hell, I’ll even go down on her first, but Mario Kart is where I draw the line. I’m sorry, but I just can’t let you beat me at Mario Kart, Hurls.”  
Harleigh rolled her eyes and flicked Mike's arm, causing him to squawk and tug on a lock of her hair. While they were actually kind of amusing to watch, I kind of needed to ask them something that had been bothering me all day. “So, uh, do either of you two know why Vic seems to hate me? I mean, if he had a legit reason for disliking me, I could get with that, some people just don’t like other people, but he’s been a jerk since he first talked to me,” I rambled, tugging on random locks of hair and avoiding eye contact.  
Mike and Harleigh exchanged worried glances, seeming to have an entire conversation through eyebrow movements and jerky hand motions. They seemed very close for a couple that had only been together for a few months. Finally, Harleigh sighed and turned her torso so that she was facing me. “Look, Kellin, I’m sure Vic doesn’t mean to be a dick; he’s usually a really sweet guy. It’s just, the way you are… you remind Vic of someone he really would rather not think about.”  
I frowned, jutting out my lip slightly. “What do you mean, ‘the way I am’? Am I that bad of a person, is my personality so repellent?” I accused, getting angry in hopes that it would mask the hurt I felt.  
“No, Kell, you’re great, really,” Harleigh reassured me, while Mike rolled his eyes.  
“It’s because you’re a huge flirt,” Mike said bluntly, earning a glare from his girlfriend. “What? I get you were trying to be nice, but that is why Vic’s a dick to him, and we all know it. Kellin’s a huge flirt, just like Chase was.”  
Now Harleigh looked really mad, and Mike looked a little repentant. “Who’s Chase?” I asked carefully, although I had a niggling idea.  
Harleigh and Mike glared at each other for a few minutes before Harleigh gave up and sighed. “Whatever, go ahead and tell him. He’d probably just go and ask Hime or Tony, anyway,” Harleigh muttered, scowling.  
“Don’t mind her; she’s Vic’s friend and pretty loyal. Vic made it pretty clear he never wanted to hear Chase’s name again, and she’s just a good friend,” Mike said, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend’s shoulders, rubbing her arm absently. “Chase is Vic’s ex-boyfriend. They started dating when Vic was a freshman and Chase was a sophomore, and my brother fell hard for the kid. Chase was really cocky, though, and a huge flirt, but Vic didn’t really care. He always said how he thought it was adorable or some shit, and how he ‘trusted’ Chase. Well, about a year ago, Vic was going to soccer practice after school, but it turned out the coach got sick, so it was cancelled. So he decided to go to Chase’s and surprise him, right? More time to hang out and fuck, I guess.” Mike cringed at his own words, but continued on, determined to see this through. “Well, I guess when he got there, Chase’s parents were gone and the door was unlocked, so he went in, right? And well, this is where I’m kind of guessing because Vic just blubbered when he got home, and ever since then, he refuses to talk about it. I assume he went up to Chase’s room and just went in, because they’d been dating for a freaking year and a half. He walked in and caught Chase in the middle of fucking some freshman kid he’d been flirting with earlier that day.”  
“God damn,” I whispered, shock written all over my features. No fucking wonder the kid hated me. The first damn thing I’d done when I saw him was flirt with him.  
Mike nodded, angry for his brother. “Yeah. Vic never verified it, but I’m pretty sure that Chase had been cheating on him throughout their entire relationship. Ever since then, he’s hated almost everything that reminds him of Chase, which, thankfully, hasn’t been much. But then I met you, and I didn’t realize you were so much like Chase, or I probably wouldn’t have been so friendly.” I winced at that, and Mike bit his lip. “Sorry, dude. I just always think of that when I meet new people now. I hated seeing Vic like that, and I told myself I wouldn’t let it happen again. But then, you didn’t flirt with me when we were talking, and I guess I just assumed you were straight,” Mike blushed, looking at me apologetically. I shrugged it off, not really caring. He was cool with me being gay, so I didn’t really care he assumed I liked girls. “But then today happened, and, well, yeah.”  
Harleigh, who had been silent throughout Mike’s tirade, spoke up. “Vic has a bit of a type,” she admitted, looking me in the eyes. “And you, Kellin, you’re pretty much exactly what he likes in a guy. So I do think he means to be a dick. For the past year, all he’s done is randomly hook up a few times at parties, and that’s only if he gets really, really drunk. I think he’s protecting himself from the possibility of falling for you.”  
I gaped at her, completely stunned with everything they told me. I had no idea how to respond, and, apparently, I didn’t have to, because standing in the doorway was a very, very pissed off Vic.


	5. Deals, Detention, and Drama (But Not Necessarily In That Order)

Dear Dumbass,  
Vic stood in the doorway, glaring at his little brother and best friend, arms crossed over his torso, livid. Mike stuttered, “Uh, h-hey bro, um… I mean, how m-much of that did ya hear?”  
“I heard enough,” Vic snapped, and Mike recoiled. The tension in the room was so thick I could cut it with a butter knife. Vic’s gaze landed on me, and I wished I could disappear. I closed my eyes and waited for him to yell, but he just shook his head and stormed out of the room.  
“Vic, wait!” Harleigh yelled, jumping up and chasing after him. I heard his bedroom door slam and Harleigh’s pleas for him to open up, knocking intermittently.  
I looked at Mike, who seemed to be frozen in place. “Um, maybe I should, like, go,” I suggested quietly.  
Mike’s head snapped up and he looked pained. “Maybe that’s a good idea,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry about this, man. But, Harleigh and me, we’ll get Vic out of his room eventually. Well, I hope, anyway. This’ll blow over in a week or so, and everything will be cool.” I wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince me or himself.  
  
The rest of the night had been passed by listening to music loud enough that I couldn’t hear my own thoughts and lying in bed, unable to get what had happened out of my head. Eventually I drifted off into a fitful sleep, tossing and turning until my mom woke me up for school.  
I went through my morning routine in a haze, earbuds plugged in and blaring Of Mice And Men. By the time I made my way downstairs, it was pushing seven-twenty. “Ma, you ready? I should probably…” I trailed off as I entered the kitchen, frozen in place as I took in the scene before me. My mom was sitting at the kitchen table with none other than Vic Fuentes, who, I couldn’t help but notice, looked incredibly hot.  
“Kellin, honey, you didn’t tell me you made friends with a boy at the restaurant!” My mom squealed, oblivious to my inner turmoil. “Vic here says he only lives a few blocks away and that you’re good friends with his little brother, so that he can give you rides now. Isn’t that great, honey?”  
“Uh,” was all I managed, flabbergasted. This didn’t make any freaking sense.  
Vic noticed my confusion and said smoothly, “It’s really no big deal, Mrs. Bostwick, I’m happy to do it.”  
You lying little liar liar-pants, I thought, amazed at his ease. Wasn’t he still pissed about last night? That train of thought derailed, however, when my mom announced, “Well, honey, I’m going to be off then. I’ve got a job interview!” She got up and quickly came over to peck my cheek, and, unable to resist, ruffled my hair a little before flouncing out of the kitchen.  
Vic and I stared at each other in silence until I heard the front door open and close, signaling my mother’s exit. “What are you doing here, Vic?” I asked quietly, locking eyes with him.  
“Exactly what your mom said I was doing; giving you a ride to school,” Vic replied impatiently with a roll of his eyes. “Now come on, we’re going to be late.”  
“But… I mean, the other day… I just…” I stuttered, a light flush rising on my cheeks.  
Vic looked slightly pained. “I knew you wouldn’t let it go,” he muttered, scowling. “Look, Mike and Harleigh said some things that I would have preferred they kept to themselves, but I have to admit, I’ve been a dick. I can admit when I’m an ass. But I’ve made my peace with them, and I had hoped that we could just ignore what happened. Obviously not. So, go ahead. Say what you want and let’s get this over with before we go to school.”  
To say the least, I was shocked. “Um, I don’t… I don’t really know what to say.”  
Vic’s lips twisted up into a sardonic smirk. “That’s funny; the little flirt with all the comebacks doesn’t know what to say.” I frowned, and Vic sighed. “Sorry. That’s sort of what I meant by me being an ass. Just kind of funny to see someone like you lost. I know, I know; I’ve got a sick sense of humor.” He shrugged.  
“Because of Chase.” As soon as the words escaped my lips, I regretted them. Vic’s head snapped up and if looks could kill, I’d already be on my way downstairs.  
“Firstly,” Vic whispered coldly, “don’t assume things. Second, no, I have always had a weird sense of humor. What happened with my ex was just a learning experience.”  
“Okay,” I said slowly, fingering the bracelets on my wrist.  
“Good,” Vic grumbled. “Glad we got that straight.” He got up from the chair and started towards the door, but I grabbed his arm.  
“Wait!” He looked at me, confused, looking from my hand to my face. I let go, blushing, feeling slightly silly. “Um, I just wanted to tell you that I won’t flirt with you anymore. I just did it, just because, well, I guess ‘cause I could. But now that, that I know, um…” I gestured towards him and made a face, unwilling to bring up his ex-boyfriend again, and I could tell he understood. “Well, I just won’t flirt with you anymore.”  
Vic narrowed his eyes, studying me for signs that I was lying. “Thank you,” he said slowly, after deciding I was telling the truth. He pursed his lips, and added, “I want us to be friends.”  
“Are you sure? I mean, Harleigh said that I’m kind of, like, super annoying to you and stuff.”  
“And that’s exactly why we’re going to be friends. My best friend doesn’t seem to think I can be friends with you without being attracted to you, and I’m going to prove her wrong. Two gay guys can be completely platonic without it being weird, right?” Vic looked at me, obviously expecting an answer.  
“Uh, yeah, I guess,” I muttered, shrugging. “Never been just friends with another gay guy, so.”  
Vic looked surprised. “Every gay guy that you know, you’ve done things with?”  
I blushed, a little embarrassed. “What? I like sex, and they come on to me.” Vic raised an eyebrow, disbelieving me, and I grinned. “Okay, I might have come onto them a little bit. But they were very, very willing.” I winked, but quickly backtracked, unsure if I had just broken my ‘no flirting with Vic’ rule.  
“Dude, it’s fine. Joking around about sex is kind of the one thing that is acceptable, especially if we’re going to be friends. Look at it this way: as long as your jokes aren’t about having sex with me, then it’s cool.” Vic chuckled, rolling his eyes. “Now, c’mon, we’re gonna be late.”  
  
The guys forced Vic to take them through the drive-thru at Taco Bell for breakfast burritos, so we were just barely able to make it to class on time; I had to literally drag Jaime to English so he wouldn’t get a detention, although I shouldn’t have bothered. We both ended up getting one for screwing around the entire class period. We were fine until Jaime decided to throw little paper balls at Alex Gaskarth’s head, missed, and ended up getting Mr. Peters in the face, five minutes before the bell rang.  
“You two will be staying after school today! I want you in the office, ready to do work as soon as the final bell rings, do you understand me?!” He was still going off as Jaime and I scurried out of the classroom, attempting not to giggle.  
“Dude, your first detention here, congrats!” Jaime applauded, grinning and bumping shoulders with me. I rolled my eyes and shoved him playfully into a locker, to which he retaliated by catching me in a chokehold and giving me a noogie.  
“Hime, as much as I’d love to let you continue harassing the new kid, I’m still partially responsible for getting him to class on time,” called Vic from across the hall, smirking as he strode up to us. I struggled in Jaime’s arms, but he was bigger and stronger than me (damn my scrawniness!)  
“Aw, fine,” Jaime muttered, rolling his eyes and releasing me. “I’ll just get you later. But, gotta go, can’t miss any Bio with Samson.” He grinned lecherously, and Vic rolled his eyes.  
“She’s going to take out a restraining order against you if you try to get in her pants one more time,” Vic advised, although he couldn’t help but chuckle.  
Jaime just shrugged, too much of a happy person to care much. He waved and started down the hallway, but not before shouting teasingly, “See ya in detention, Kell!”  
I laughed until I caught the look on Vic’s face. “You got a detention already?” His brows were furrowed, making his eyes scrunch up cutely and a slight frown was playing on his lips. I resisted the urge to tell him just how fuckable he looked and shrugged, starting to walk to class. He followed behind me, pursing his lips. “It’s only your second day, Kells; maybe you should cool it, y’know?”  
I opened my mouth to begin telling him off for lecturing me, but froze. “‘Kells’?” I questioned, raising a brow. A light blush colored Vic’s cheeks, but he looked otherwise unconcerned.  
“Yeah, it’s called a nickname. Ya know, what friends give to each other,” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, rolling his eyes and quickly starting down the hall again.  
I pondered that, trailing after him slowly. Nicknames were something friends gave other friends, and I knew almost everyone I was friends with called me ‘Kell’, ‘KQ’, or some version of my name, and my mom called my ‘KB’ or ‘Kell-bell’, but I never imagined Vic would give me one. I just assumed he was forcing himself to be friends with me to prove Harleigh and Mike wrong. The thought that he might genuinely like me brightened my mood considerably, and I strutted into class with a dopey grin on my face.  
“Someone looks chipper,” Oli commented, smirking, and the first thing I noticed was that he was sitting somewhat closer to mine, Vic, and Tony’s table than he was yesterday.  
“It happens.” I stuck my tongue out at him, almost feeling silly for the childish gesture, but the feeling disappeared as Oli’s eyes darkened slightly.  
“Stick that tongue out at me again and I’ll put it to use,” Oli purred, and I tried my hardest not to think of exactly what he would have me do with my tongue. I really didn’t need to get a hard-on in class. Oli patted the seat next to him. “Sit,” he ordered.  
I could tell he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, so I held up a finger, walking over to Tony and Vic with a slightly apologetic look on my face. “Uh, hey, guys, I’m going to sit with Oli today, ‘kay? I mean, we’ve got to do that whole project thing, so it’ll probably be easier if I’m with him… I’ll see you after class?”  
Tony smiled, giving me a thumbs-up before going back to his notebook. Vic, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to say something, but instead just shrugged. “Sure, Kells. See you then.” And he grabbed the notebook away from Tony, crossing something out and scribbling in the margins.  
Instead of pondering the weirdness that was Victor Fuentes, I jogged back to Oli’s table, taking the seat next to him. “Someone’s eager,” the British boy teased, smirking.  
I was unable to stop the blood rushing to my face, because, yeah, I was. “Whatever,” I muttered, pushing back my fringe and avoiding his eyes.  
Oli chuckled. “C’mon, love, I was just making a joke. No need to be so sensitive.” His long fingers caught my wrist and gently tugged it away from my hair. “Don’t hide that face from me; I want to see you.”  
“You have soft hands,” I blurted, unable to control myself.  
Oli’s lips turned up into a cocky, crooked grin. “Got a thing for hands? Kinky.” And he winked at me.  
“L-let’s get to work,” I mumbled, unable to hold his gaze, feeling my cheeks heat up even more than they already were. I pulled out my battered notebook, flipping to a page I had marked with a blue sticky-note the night before. “I, uh, I sort of write lyrics sometimes, so I figured, we could use these, if you wanted.. I can’t really play any instruments, but I have a friend who can play drums and his girlfriend plays guitar?”  
Oli studied the page thoughtfully, trailing his finger over one line in particular. “‘Forgiveness -- this taste all but poisons my mouth; I scream but nothing, nothing will come out. You've gone too far’,” he quoted, raising an eyebrow. “Someone hurt you, darling?”  
I cringed inwardly, wishing to God I’d picked a different song, although, honestly, the rest were just as personal. “Stuff happened, but I’m over it. Do you think the song would be good for our thing or not?”  
He seemed to understand that the subject was closed, nodding. “Yeah, it’s brilliant,” he enthused, pasting a smirk on his lips. “Pretty face and you can write songs? I might have to snatch you up, Quinn.”  
“Whatever,” I muttered, grinning in spite of myself. We started discussing how the music should go, animatedly, until Oli requested that I sing for him. I refused adamantly.  
“Why not? I just want to hear your voice,” he pouted, jutting out his lower lip. I shook my head quickly, although I had to admit that his little pouty face was cute. Oli frowned, obviously unused to not getting his way. “Fine, then. I’ll make it interesting. You sing two little lines for me, and I’ll make out with you.”  
My brows shot up, a little surprised. “W-what if I don’t wanna make out with you?”  
Oli chuckled, crossing his arms. “Deal’s off the table in four… three… two…”  
“Okay, okay!” I interjected quickly, waving my hands. “I’ll sing. But how do I know you’ll deliver?”  
Oli pondered this for a moment. “Sing me one line, then ask Kane for a pass to the restroom. I’ll meet you and we can slip into an empty classroom. Then, when we’re done, I’ll have you singing for me whenever I want,” he said cockily, smirking.  
“Uh-huh, sure,” I mocked. Oli looked at me expectantly, and I scowled. I hated singing in front of people, and I really didn’t want Vic to hear me. As quietly as I could, I sang the lines Oli had pointed out for me, “So tell me how does it feel, how does it feel to be like you? I think your mouth should be quiet 'cause it never tells the truth.”  
As soon as I started, Oli grinned from ear to ear, shaking his head slightly in amazement. “Bloody brilliant,” he whispered, squeezing my arm.  
“So, uh… yeah,” I uttered lamely, cheeks flaming as I peered around the room, hoping no one else heard me. When I was satisfied, I glanced at Oli, who was watching me with amusement, and he motioned for me to go to Ms. Kane’s desk. I sighed loudly, trudging over to her. “Uh, can I, like, I need… The restroom pass?” I muttered awkwardly, averting my eyes. I could not believe I was doing this; I was giddy, nervous, and repelled at my actions all at the same time. My body couldn’t seem to choose just one of the emotions, so it mashed them all three together.  
Kane gave me an odd look but handed me a laminated square of paper, regardless. I looked at Oli, who gave me an approving smile and a wink. Making a face at him, I staggered out of the classroom, making my way aimlessly down the halls. I’d only been here for a day, dammit, and now I was off to make out with some random (albeit hot as fuck) dude in an empty room. I wasn’t sure whether or not to count that as a win or not.  
I’d only got maybe twenty feet down the hallway before I heard footsteps behind me. I turned, relieved to see Oli jogging to catch up to me. “Slow down, handsome,” he laughed, catching my hand in his and pulling me in the opposite direction. “Excited?”  
I glared half-heartedly. “No.” He rolled his eyes, seeming to know I was lying. I couldn’t decide if I was more excited or anxious, and I think mostly, I was just sure that Oli would end up playing a trick on me. “Where are we going, anyway?”  
“Janitor’s closet, he’s out ‘sick’ every second Wednesday of the month,” Oli said knowledgeably, reaching a door and jerking it open, quickly pushing me inside. It was dark, cramped, and smelled like cleaning solution, and I was about to complain, but I felt Oli’s hands settle on my hips, and I couldn’t help but feel butterflies. “Been wanting to do this since you sat and talked to me yesterday,” he whispered, his hot breath hitting my ear and sending shivers down my spine. He caught my earlobe between his teeth and nipped, and I sucked in a shocked breath, causing Oli to chuckle. His lips moved to my jaw, pressing steady, gentle kisses until he reached the corner of my lips. “So pretty,” he mumbled, leaning his forehead against mine and pressing our lips together. It was sweet, but only for a moment. Oli kissed me hungrily, as if he was starving and I was his favorite dessert. I couldn’t help but respond enthusiastically; he was a good kisser and his lips were so soft. I could hear erratic sighs escaping my lips between kisses but I didn’t care. I twined my arms around his neck, and he attempted to deepen the kiss, tongue probing between my lips, asking for access. I opened my mouth slightly, allowing him entrance.  
I groaned into his mouth, my dick twitching and starting to get hard. I wasn’t usually so turned on by kissing, but god damn, he was so fucking hot. Oli growled, his hands gripping my hips and, in the little space we had, lifted me up, hands settling on my ass. My legs automatically wrapped around his waist, and I could feel his erection pressing against my own. I whined, my hips jerking forward in an attempt to get friction, and Oli chuckled. “Naughty, naughty,” he whispered, pulling away for a moment before continuing to ravish my mouth.  
“Touch me,” I begged when he finally relinquished my lips, moving to nip and suck at my neck. His chest rumbled with quiet laughter and he bit down on my neck. I moaned, and he did it again. “Oli, please,” I choked, and he seemed to take pity on me. He kept working on my neck, and I knew I was going to have multiple hickeys by the end of this, while his fingers fumbled with the button on my jeans. He deftly undid my jeans, yanking them down and palming me through my boxers. My breath hitched and I whined as he pulled his hand away. “So impatient, love,” he whispered teasingly, sinking to his knees.  
I was in shock by what I was seeing. Fuck. This hot boy on his knees for me, fuck, his fingers were pulling my boxers down and my erection sprung free. Oli licked his lips and made sure to stare into my eyes as his tongue darted out and swirled around the tip. “Fuck,” I whimpered, still in amazement at what he was doing. Oli licked the underside of my cock, tracing the less-than-prominent vein underneath and I bit down on my lower lip to quiet my moan. My shaky hands reached for him, fingers twining through his black locks as he took me into his mouth, bobbing his head back and forth. “Oh, god, Oli,” I choked, my heartbeat so loud it’s all I could hear. I think he might have laughed, but I couldn’t focus on anything but his tongue doing fucking amazing things and god, the wet heat of his mouth wrapped around my cock, shit. He started bobbing faster, hollowing out his cheeks, and I felt the familiar heat pooling in my abdomen.  
“Oli, I-I’m gonna-,” I croaked, trying to warn him, but he just took me deeper. I came with a cry of his name, and he kept sucking until I was done. Oli popped off, smirking at me.  
“What about singing me that song, love?” He whispered into my ear as he got to his feet.  
“Whatever you want,” I mumbled dreamily, laying my head against his shoulder.  
Oli smirked. “Told you I’d have you singing for me.”  
∞  
\- Kellin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (when Kellin says he’d already be on his way downstairs, he means he assumes he’s going to hell when he dies, just in case you didn’t get that. :P)  
> The song lyrics are from With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear by Sleeping With Sirens.
> 
> So, um. Yeah. Sorry about the terrible smutty stuff, and the kissing scene was probably bad, but there ya go. :) i'd love to hear what you think? You guys are freaking amazing.


	6. In Which I Get Laid

Dear Douchecanoe,  
“Kellin? Dude? Earth to Kellin! “ Vic shouted, waving his arms in front of my face. I jumped, looking at him with wide eyes. “What in the fuck, man?” I retorted, glaring at him until I noticed that everyone at the table had the same amused look on their faces.  
Vic rolled his eyes. “You’ve been spacing for the last fifteen minutes, Kells. We’ve been trying to ask you if you wanted to go to a party tonight with us, and nothing.”  
“A party? Where?”  
“Gaskarth is throwing one since his parents are out of town, again, and B-Kat is supplying the booze,” Mike interjected before Vic could answer, drumming his fingers on the table excitedly. “It’s gonna be sick; I mean, all of their parties are, but it’s also the first one they’ve thrown since you’ve been here.”  
I grinned. “Hell yeah I want to go.”  
Vic laughed. “Cool, we’ll pick you up around seven, yeah?” I nodded and felt something fall off of my hair and frowned. Vic attempted to stifle his laughter. “I think you have an entire plate of French fries covering your body, thanks to Mikey and Jaime, who think that’s the way to get someone’s attention.”  
I looked down at my shirt and ruffled my hair, making a face as fries fell into my lap. “Guys,” I whined, scowling half-heartedly at them. Mike looked slightly repentant, but Jaime just smirked at me.  
“What’s got you in such a good mood? You’d usually chew our asses for that,” Mike commented, raising a brow. I glowered at him, but he stuck his tongue out at me.  
“Nothing,” I muttered, hoping someone would change the subject, but apparently, they all wanted to know what was up with me. “For all you guys know, this is normal for me,” I pointed out, and I thought I would get away with it, until Mike spoke up, once again.  
“Yeah right, I’ve been talking to you for over a week and you haven’t done this. You’re a people person, Kellin, face it. Something is uuuuuuuh-uuup,” Mike sang, throwing an arm around Harleigh’s shoulders.  
“Don’t use me for protection,” Harleigh said with a smirk, shrugging off her boyfriend’s arm. “You bit the sleeping dragon, now you pay the consequences.” Mike whined, and I rolled my eyes, chuckling.  
“Did something happen, Kellin?” Tony piped up curiously. Out of the group, Tony was least likely to tease me about things. He was the softest of the five. “You do seem kind of out of it. You’re spacing off with this weird grin on your face.”  
“I’ve just had a good day, is all,” I justified, pushing my food around on my tray. Tony shrugged, accepting the answer, and, to my eternal gratefulness, started a debate with Mike that seemed to be several years ongoing: Harry Potter vs. Star Wars. Jaime joined in, egging on both sides, while Harleigh merely tried to reign in Mike’s tirades on how Harry Potter was obviously better, and Tony was defending Star Wars with a fervor I hadn’t thought he possessed. It was interesting to see him all worked up since he seemed to be such a quiet, unassuming person.  
I watched avidly for a few minutes, chuckling at the passionate debate. “They’ll go on like this forever,” Vic commented to my right, scooting a little closer so he could be heard over the commotion.  
“They fight about this a lot?”  
Vic laughed dryly. “About once every month for the entirety of their friendship. After this, they’ll get all pissy with each other and refuse to hang out for another week, which honestly gives everyone a break, and then after that, go on like nothing happened.”  
“That’s, uh…”  
“Strange?” Vic supplied with a slight grin. “Yeah, we all think so, but that’s how they work, and they’ve been tight for years. So we let it happen.”  
My eyebrows drew together. “All over fictional universes?” It seemed a little extreme to me, but who was I to judge a system that had been working for years?  
“Don’t let them hear you say that,” Vic muttered with a smirk. “But to answer your question, nah, I don’t think the whole thing is totally over which series is better. It’s more all of the petty little fights that Mike and Tony never get into, balled up into one core fight. Instead of bickering all the time like Jaime and I, or Mike and I, or even Tony and Jaime, do, they just have a huge row once or twice every two months and spend a week pretending the other doesn’t exist. Once again, it’s strange, but it works for them.” Vic shrugged, adding with a sly grin, “And it provides entertainment for us whenever they get into specific arguments, as you can tell by Hime.” He nodded, and sure enough, Jaime looked like he was having the time of his life egging on his friends.  
“You guys are weird,” I said with a grin. “No wonder I fit in so well.”  
∞  
The rest of the school day passed without event – or, if something did happen, I didn’t notice it. I was too excited for the party that night. I hadn’t been to a party since my friend Justin threw my going-away party. I ended up wasted within two hours and hooking up with my closeted friend Jack.  
“How was school, sweetie?” Mom asked, her energetic mood suggesting something good had happened.  
I shrugged, tossing my backpack by the coatrack. “Good, I guess. For school, anyway. Guess what!” I exclaimed, changing the subject. I ran into the kitchen, practically vibrating with excitement. “The Fuentes’ invited me to a party tonight!”  
Mom stood at the kitchen counter, up to her forearms in dough. She raised an eyebrow. “A party, Kell?” She asked dryly, wiping her hands off.  
“It’s a Friday night, Mom, and you like Mike and Vic,” I reminded her, flashing (what I hoped was) a winning smile. I loped over and stuck a finger in the dough, pinching off a piece and tossing it in my mouth. “Mm, sugar cookies? What’s the occasion?”  
Her face lit up, and I knew I was off the hook. “I got that job I interviewed for today! They said that usually they’ll take time to look over the applications and make a decision then, but they really needed someone to start soon, and I was the most qualified.”  
“So, getting a job means cookies? Hell, maybe I’ll start applying,” I joked, smirking. My mom rolled her eyes and smacked the back of my head playfully.  
“You better,” she threatened, although she had a grin on her lips. “But no, that’s not the whole reason I’m making cookies. What they needed me for is to help look after one of the wings at the nursing home. After they assured me that no one on that side was diabetic or had any problems with it, I decided I would make some cookies to curry some favor with the other staff and patients.”  
I pouted. “But you’re going to save some for me, right? You haven’t made cookies in so long.” I jutted out my lower lip, and I could see her melt.  
“Kellin Quinn Bostwick, you are a spoiled little brat,” she said affectionately, ruffling my hair. I wrinkled my nose, ducking out of her reach.  
“Mom!” I whined, reaching up to fix my fringe. “You’re going to get my hair all greasy and cookie-y.”  
“Sorry, hon,” she teased. “You go get ready for that party, now, and leave me alone to finish my cookies. I’ll put some in a Tupperware container for you later.”  
“Thanks, Ma!” I yelled as I ran down the hall, shedding my clothes. By the time I reached the bathroom, I was kicking off my boxers. I turned the water on, testing it’s warmth before pulling the little knob that switched it from bath to shower mode.  
Because I had a while, I took a half-hour shower, just relaxing under the spray of water and massaging the shampoo and conditioner into my scalp, taking my time, because, well, I could. I stepped out, grabbed a towel and giggled at the steamy mirror, little rivulets of water running down it. I quickly dried my body off and attempted to get at least some of the moisture out of my hair before wiping off the mirror so I could see.  
“Deodoraaaant,” I sang, rummaging through the little basket of toiletries my mom had so helpfully placed on the back of the toilet and pulling it out, swiping under my arms before switching out for my cologne. Because we were pretty much poor, I used Axe most of the time, but since this was a special occasion, I broke out my Versace – Eros (otherwise known as my ‘sure to get me laid’ cologne) and sighed. I smelled fucking good.  
I replaced my stuff and wrapped the towel around my waist (she may have birthed me and changed my diapers, but I really didn’t want to flash my mom my junk), I strode into my room and pulled on a nice pair of boxers (navy blue silky ones) that clung in all the right places and dug in my dresser for my favorite pair of black skinny jeans, which also just happened to be the tightest pair I owned, squeezing into them. So I wouldn’t stretch them out too much, I laid back on my bed, taking my phone off of my bedside table and pulling up my latest obsession: Flappy Bird.  
Two hours (and multiple frantic screams and slurs directed at that stupid fucking bird) later, a text from Mike pulled me away from my game. Yo, meet us at my house whenever, yeah? you can come hang out. hurley is making me do this  xo. I giggled, rolling my eyes. Harleigh was the best. I responded, give her a hug and a kiss from me, too, Mikeyyy and I’ll be there soon.  
I got up and walked to my closet, rummaging through to find a shirt and settling on my red Foo Fighters tee, yanking it over my head. I ran my hands through my tangled hair and grimaced, grabbing the hairbrush off of my desk and quickly brushing my hair before pulling on a pair of socks and my TOMS. “Mom, I’m leaving!” I yelled, walking to the door and grabbing my bomber jacket and a beanie.  
“If you aren’t home before two, I’ll assume you’re staying over at the Fuentes’,” my mom called from the kitchen as I walked out the door. I chuckled, shaking my head as I pulled on my beanie.  
It was a short two blocks to the Mike and Vic’s place, and it gave me an opportunity to stretch out my jeans enough to where my ass still looked amazing, but I could move without feeling like I was going to pass out. I knocked on the front door, tapping my feet along to the beat of the song I was singing in my head (Situations by Escape The Fate).  
“Hi, Kellin! How are you, sweetie?” Mrs. Fuentes greeted me as she opened the door, ushering me inside. “Can I get you anything to drink, hon?”  
“I’m good, thanks.” I blushed, ducking my head. “No, thanks, Mrs. Fuentes; I’m sure I’ll get something at the party.”  
“I’m sure you will.” She chuckled knowingly, patting my back. “Okay, well, the Harleigh and the boys are upstairs in Victor’s room. Go on up; they’re just getting ready.”  
I flashed a grin before taking the stairs two at a time and cautiously knocking on Vic’s closed door. Not two seconds passed before it was yanked open and Harleigh was strangling me with a hug. “Hi, Kellin!” She chirped, releasing me.  
“Uh, good to see you too, Hurls, but next time could ya not try and kill me? I actually do enjoy breathing,” I wheezed, glaring playfully.  
Harleigh sniffed, sticking her nose in the air and sitting back down beside Mike, who was too engrossed in his video game to even notice I had arrived. “Die, fucker! Die!”  
Jaime, it seemed, had the same problem. “Fuck you, Michael! I will murder you in your sleep!” He screeched, violently throwing his controller down onto the floor as his character died. His lower lip jutted out in a pout while Mike did something of a victory dance, glaring around the room. When his eyes landed on me, he perked up immediately and waved. “Hi, Kell!”  
I laughed, hopping on to what I assumed must be Vic’s bed beside Jaime. “Hey, Hime-Time. Where’s Tone?”  
“Don’t speak that name in my presence!” Mike cried dramatically, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked to his girlfriend for support and was met with a glare. “Fine, then, be on their side. I’m going to get a snack.” He stormed out the door and down the stairs.  
“Don’t mind him. He’s a drama queen, and both he and Tony are big babies,” Harleigh explained with a roll of her eyes. “Tony’s meeting us there. He doesn't want to be around Mike any more than Mike wants to be around him. I swear I’m going to videotape Mike bitching about Tony and then show it to them when they’re hanging out in a week.”  
Jaime barked out a laugh. “You say that every time this happens,” he reminded her, grinning. “And Vic’s done that before, anyway. Doesn't matter, they’ll make excuses for each other. Immature fighting is just their thing.” He eyed Mike’s abandoned controller with a sneaky smirk. “Hey, Kellin, you wanna play a game?”  
I shrugged, walking over to the big armchair in the corner of the room and sat down beside Harleigh. We were both small enough that we fit, even though she was practically in my lap. She shrugged and threw her legs over my lap, using me as a foot stool while she played on her phone. “You’re basically sitting in my lap. Doesn’t that at least get me some, like, boob-grabbing privileges?” I teased, poking her side.  
Harleigh didn’t even glance up from her screen, typing furiously. “Kellin, you’re gay,” she said in a bored tone. “If I let you touch my boobs, you’d probably go cry in the corner from the horror of it all.”  
Jaime cackled. “She’s got you there, bro!”  
“Not all gay guys are terrified of lady business, you idiots.” I scowled at them both, grabbing the controller and grumbling, “So, where’s Vic?”  
“I think he’s showering or something,” Jaime replied, shrugging. He smirked at me. “So, you ready to play?”  
Of course we played a game that Jaime was insanely good at (and apparently could only be beaten at by Mike) and I lost. Three times.  
“This game is fucking stupid, I swear to god, you’re fucking cheating, Jaime!” I fumed, glaring at Jaime, who was close to pissing himself, he was laughing so hard.  
“What’s so funny?” I turned my head to see Vic in the doorway, dripping wet, with a towel wrapped around his waist. Holy shit.  
Harleigh giggled. “Vic, you’re making Kellin drool. We all know you’re good-looking, so could you please put some clothes on?” I came out of my stupor and glared at her, to which she smirked, mouthing, ‘you totally were’.  
Vic’s brows raised and he glanced down, as if just noticing he was pretty much naked save for a flimsy towel. Harleigh’s words seemed to register just then, though, and he smirked. “What’s wrong, Kellin? Turned on by my hot body?” He snickered and shook his hair, water droplets flying everywhere, making Harleigh and I cry out angrily.  
“You’re fucking up my hair, Victor!” She screeched, and I made a noise of agreement. Vic just chortled, walking to his dresser and dug through one of the drawers. I was about to make a snarky comment about him being able to flirt with me, but I couldn’t with him, when he dropped the towel and I was met with the most fucking amazing ass of all time. What the fuck? He was undressing… In here?  
Harleigh seemed to notice my distress (or complete opposite of distress, judging by my insta-boner) and she reminded me in a murmur, “This is his room.”  
By then, Vic had boxers on, and was in the middle of pulling on a pair of skinny jeans. Which left me to daydream about that perfect ass… Until I glanced up at the owner of said ass and noticed the shirt he was putting on. “Is that your faggot shirt?” I snickered, unable to hold in my laughter.  
Vic was not amused. “Dude, I am a flaming homosexual. Every shirt is my faggot shirt.” He was buttoning up the orange-and-blue monstrosity when he asked me with a mulish expression, “And what’s wrong with this shirt?”  
I sputtered, sharing an amused look with Harleigh. “Uh, nothing,” I muttered, faking a cough that hopefully covered my laughter.  
“Hey, why are you sitting with my girlfriend?!” Mike growled as he walked in, still grumpy from earlier. He stood in front of the chair we were in, ignoring everyone else, his arms crossed over his chest.  
Harleigh and I looked at each other and burst into laughter. “Dude, really… I’m g-gay!” I managed between giggles. Mike didn’t look any less scary, so I got up with a roll of my eyes. “What’s up with you?”  
Mike sat down, pulling Harleigh into his lap and kissing her forehead. “Nothing, dude, I just wanted to sit with my girl and you were in my way.” He grinned and stuck out his tongue, laughing, while Harleigh wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss.  
“I fucking hate you,” I grumbled quite audibly, plopping down on Vic’s bed beside Jaime, who was laughing. Mike flipped me off with a smirk.  
Meanwhile, Vic was staring into the mirror on the back of his door glumly. “I’m changing my fucking shirt.”  
Ω  
I was drunk as fuck.  
We hung out at the Fuentes’ for a few more hours, getting more anxious and excited with each passing moment until we could actually leave, with Mrs. Fuentes behind us yelling not to drink and drive. When we got to Gaskarth’s, people were swarming and we could hear the loud music from the driveway. And, like Harleigh said, Tony met us there, although he refused to tell us where he was until Mike and Harleigh had gone off to find friends from their grade – which, Jaime explained to me, meant Mike wanted to get high without Vic knowing, although Vic had figured out his code about six months ago.  
We found Tony in the kitchen near the liquor and rescued him from an overbearing girl who looked as though she wanted to eat him. After that, we took a couple bottles of vodka and escaped to an empty corner in the living room.  
Tony, it seemed, did not get more outgoing when drunk; he just got even shyer.  
“Poor Tony,” Jaime teased, before tossing his head back and taking his fifth shot. “Was that girl scaring you?” Jaime drunk was pretty much the same as Jaime sober, except, Vic informed me (just in case Jaime came to me with a ‘great idea’), worse decision-making skills.  
Tony blushed, shoving Jaime’s shoulder. “No! She was just, too much. I didn’t know what to say to her, and I didn’t wanna tell her to go away… That would’ve been mean.”  
Vic giggled, rolling his eyes and taking another shot. I watched his Adam’s apple bob as he swallowed a little dazedly before I realized what I was doing and shook myself. Bad Kellin! “Tone, she was practically molesting you. I’m pretty sure that it would have been perfectly acceptable to push her off and say that you weren’t interested.”  
Tony scowled, snatching his empty shot glass and filling up, much to Vic, Jaime, and my amusement. “Chug, chug, chug!” We chanted, although it didn’t really make sense since he was taking a shot – but who cared, we were drunk and it made us giggle like little kids.  
I looked up and frowned at what I saw: Oli Sykes motioning to me, a smirk playing on his completely fucking kissable lips. He wanted me to follow him, and he was heading up the stairs. I deliberated before blurting, “Uh, I, you know, bathroom.”  
Fortunately, we were all drunk enough that no one really questioned me. Vic and Tony nodded, while Jaime snickered like the immature teenager he was. I got up on shaky legs and stumbled across the room, barely making to the stairs. Why in the fuck did I think it was a good idea to drink? Because it feels amazing, dumbass.  
I could just barely see Oli turning the corner at the top of the stairs, and I literally crawled up them. My equilibrium was so off, if I had tried going up them upright, I probably would have fallen and broken my neck. By the time I had actually made it up the stairs, though, Oli was nowhere in sight, leaving me standing in a hallway with four different doors.  
“Eenie, meenie, miney, moe,” I mumbled, pointing to a new door with every word of the chant I uttered. I landed on the second door on the right, so I braced myself and burst in. “Oli?”  
“What the fuck?” It took me more than a few minutes to process what the fuck I was seeing. Two long, lanky bodies molded together, one dark-haired and the other blondish-brown, their lips locked (well, they had been) in what seemed to be an extremely passionate kiss. One had their hands underneath the other’s shirt while the dark-haired guy was unbuckling the lighter-haired one’s belt. They broke apart as soon as they heard me, with identical masks of fear and guilt on their faces. I recognized Jack Barakat first, standing protectively in front of his… lover? Make-out partner? I wasn’t sure what to call the other boy. Luckily for me, he pushed past Jack and I gasped when I got a good look at his face.  
“Kellin, I can explain,” Alex Gaskarth blurted, looking terrified. I still couldn’t process any of this. Jack made no secret that he was bisexual, but Alex was supposed to be straight.  
I blinked, shaking my head. “It’s, uh, not necessary,” I mumbled, still a little dazed. “Not up to me who you hook up with, y’know? But if you don’t want people to know, you should, er, probably lock the door. H-have fun, guys.” And with that, I turned on my heel and slammed the door closed behind me, the new information rattling around in my skull. Alex and Jack…  
I knocked robotically on the door right across from the room I had just exited, a little fearful for my mental health if I continued bursting into occupied rooms. As flirtatious as I was, I really wasn’t into seeing people I knew (if only just barely) having sex.  
Thank god, it was Oli, brilliant, beautiful, hot-as-fuck, tattooed Oli, who opened the door. “Where in the hell have you been? I been waiting on you,” he complained huskily, dragging me into the bedroom and locking the door behind us.  
“Just, er, got lost,” I mumbled, giving him a small grin and twining my arms around his neck. I giggled, looking into his glossy, bloodshot eyes. “Hi, Oli.”  
He chuckled, leaning his forehead against mine and pecking my lips. “Hi, Kellin,” he breathed, and he smelled a little like dark chocolate mixed with something I could only describe as a manly, musky scent that I never could accomplish.  
“You smell good,” I giggled, kissing his jaw. I licked the skin on his neck, nipping ever so gently. “Good enough to eat.”  
Oli’s head tilted, giving me more access to his neck, and he laughed. “That feels good, love,” he murmured, his hands settling on my hips, his grip tightening when I started sucking a bruise into the crook of his neck.  
I could feel Oli pushing me gently, and I stumbled backwards. I was too intent on marking him to pay much attention to anything other than what I was doing, so it was a huge surprise to me when I fell back and bounced on a mattress that seemed to materialize out of nowhere.  
With eyes as wide quarters, I looked up at Oli through my lashes, legs splayed invitingly. He stared lustfully and I smirked. I moved my fingers down to play with the hem of my shirt, making sure Oli’s gaze followed, and I pulled it slowly over my head, tossing it on the floor. He swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing, licking his lips as my fingers popped open the button of my jeans. I shimmied them down, kicking them onto the floor, and played with the waistband of my boxers teasingly, already half-hard from excitement.  
Oli seemed to snap out of his shock, pouncing on top of me and attacking my lips with his own aggressively. His hand batted mine away, fingers teasing along the bulge in my boxers. I whimpered, rutting up against his hand and he chuckled, quickly pinning my hips down. “Not so fast,” he whispered with a smirk, straddling me. “Now you’re going to have a taste of your own medicine, you little tease.”  
And with that, he pulled off his tee, an exaggerated groan escaping his lips. My dick didn’t seem to care that Oli was only teasing the fuck out of me though, if the way it throbbed against my stomach was any indication. Oli smirked as he undid his belt, pulling it from the loops slowly, staring into my eyes the entire time.  
“Hurry up,” I whined, attempting to thrust my hips up, needing some friction. All I could focus on was how painfully hard I was and how tight my jeans were and god dammit Oli why aren’t you naked yet?  
Oli raised a brow, smirking, pausing in his movements. “Patience, love, I will be soon.” Oh. So I said that out loud. He climbed off of me, roughly shoving his jeans down to pool at his feet, and I gaped. His dick tented his boxers and he was huge. I wasn’t sure I’d ever taken someone that big. Oli saw my reaction and grinned wolfishly. “Like what you see?” he asked huskily, hooking his thumbs under the waistband of his boxers.  
I nodded vigorously, mouth dry. “Y-yeah,” I piped, my voice breaking slightly. I squirmed nervously, obviously wondering why he wasn’t getting back on the bed, and he glanced at my boxers and back to my face. I got the message. I kicked my boxers off quickly, nearly whimpering with relief as my erection sprang free, no longer confined by fabric.  
Almost immediately Oli crawled over me, his lips attaching themselves to mine fervently, while he grinded his hips into mine. My moan was muffled by his lips, and I could feel his chest rumble with quiet laughter. “So sensitive,” he breathed, taking my lower lip between his teeth and pulling.  
“Just fuck me already!” I whined, glaring at the unfairly attractive boy above me.  
Oli smirked and before I knew what was happening he flipped us so that I was on top of him. Unconsciously, I rutted against him and my eyes nearly rolled back in my head from the pleasure of pressure and skin-on-skin contact. Oli grabbed my hips roughly and held them still, gaze level with mine. “Not so fast, love,” he commanded, and the dominant tone in his voice sent shivers down my spine. “Show me what you can do with those pretty little lips and then maybe I’ll give you what you want.”  
Why did I have to be attracted to guys who were super-dominant sexually? A small part of me wanted to refuse and glare childishly until I got what I wanted, but most of all I craved to submit.  
I moved down to the end of the bed so my head was level with Oli’s dick, and the angle my body was at was awkward and a little uncomfortable, but I really didn’t give a fuck. I wrapped my hand around the base and locked eyes with Oli before swirling my tongue around the head, lapping up the precome beaded at the tip.  
Oli bit his lip, hard, and I could tell he was trying very hard not to make a sound. So, I took him in my mouth, going down and letting him hit the back of my throat, thanking god or whoever that all of my previous sexual escapades had taught me how to control my gag reflex. That drew a strangled moan from him and his fingers tangled in my hair, gripping hard, while I started bobbing my head. I made sure to glide my tongue over his slit every time I pulled up and off before going back down, and by the sounds Oli was making, he was getting frustrated.  
It only took a few minutes before Oli was tugging me off, glaring. “Tease,” he accused, while I moved back up beside him. I shrugged, smirking, and pulled him into a bruising kiss.  
“You love it,” I muttered breathlessly. “Now fuck me already.”  
Oli grinned and pecked my lips before jumping off of the bed and digging around in the drawers of the bedside table. “’Course, love. Didn’t I say I’d give you what you wanted?” When he found what he was looking for, he got back onto the bed and pushed my back against the mattress. He fiddled with something in his hand, and I glanced up to see him popping open a little bottle of lube and spreading the clear liquid onto his fingers. I squirmed excitedly, spreading my legs and lifting my ass.  
Oli rolled his eyes. “Excited?” He teased, his finger circling my hole before pushing in slowly. Oli’s eyes locked onto mine, and I nodded; I was fine. I’d done this before, quite a bit, actually, and one finger wasn’t going to hurt me. Even when I fingered myself while jacking off, I usually just skipped straight to two.  
I gasped when Oli pushed another finger inside, shocking me out of my thoughts. Fuck, that feels good. His fingers were twisting and pumping and searching oh fucking Christ I whimpered as he brushed over my prostate, pushing back onto his hand. I heard him chuckle and he did it again, making me curse loudly. “More, Oli, please,” I begged, needing more, needing him.  
He obliged, slipping another finger in, scissoring and stretching and oh fuck I could feel his erection against my thigh and his fingers were in me, not enough not enough. “I’m ready, just fucking get in me already!” I hissed through clenched teeth.  
Oli’s hand stilled and I could see him hesitate before the lust won out. He pulled out his fingers and ripped open a condom, rolling it on with shaky hands. I nearly whined as I felt him line up, trying to push back onto him. Oli’s hands gripped my waist, though, and kept me still. “Fuck, f- oh,” I moaned, as Oli started pushing in. Fuck, it burned; Oli was big, and I probably should have let him stretch me more, but fuck, I wanted him so bad, and the stretch wasn’t awful; there was pleasure with the pain.  
Oli went so slowly, watching my face for any sign of pain, although he got distracted by the pleasure. “Sh-shit, how.. fucking hell, so fucking tight,” he groaned, his grip on my waist becoming bruising. He bottomed out, his breathing coming in short pants, and he leaned down to kiss me quickly. “Tell me when… when you’re ready.”  
I nodded and shifted my hips slightly, getting used to being so full. It only took a minute or two before I was giving Oli the okay. I was unprepared for the way his hips snapped roughly, pounding into me as if he couldn’t get enough. “Oh, god, fuck, Oli,” I whimpered, moving my hips in sync with his. Every time Oli thrust into me, the head of his cock hit my prostate and fuck so fucking good I can’t keep this up.   
“O-Oli, touch me, please,” I begged, my voice breaking. Fuck, I was already fucking wrecked, and I didn’t care. My dick throbbed, hard as a rock against my stomach, and I nearly keened when Oli’s hand encircled it, jerking in time with his thrusts and rubbing the pad of his thumb over the tip.  
It felt like hours, but it couldn’t have been more than minutes until I felt the familiar heat pool in my stomach. “C-coming,” I managed to choke out before coming over Oli’s fist with a scream of his name. He didn’t last much longer than me, slamming into me a few more times before he shot into the condom, collapsing on top of me.  
“Fuck, Oli,” I mumbled, pressing a kiss to his temple and threading my fingers through his hair. I yawned, still high from my post-orgasm bliss, and smiled sleepily. Oli grunted something of the same sentiment, snuggling into my body heat while his arms wrapped around me.  
The alcohol and orgasm had been too much for me, and the last thought I had before drifting off was that, I could get used to this…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so.. yeah. SMUT. It was sort of my first time actually writing smut, so maybe give me some feedback on it? And I know it hasn't gotten to the kellic yet, but it will, I swear. :) As always, you guys rock.
> 
> (special thanks to Rose, I love your comments!)


	7. In Which I Obtain A Boyfriend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please don't hate me! I'm sorry it took so long to get this up, and hopefully I should be a lot quicker now. I've had a lot of personal issues and things going on, and I promise i'll try to UPDATE quicker. As always, comments are much appreciated. xx ric!

I woke up to the sounds of arguing, with guitar playing in the background. Both of which did wonders for my pounding headache (note the sarcasm).   
“You’re gonna wake him up.” Definitely a dude, because, well… Just trust me, I know what guys sound like.  
“I’m being, like, super quiet. Precious angel baby will be fine.” The level of snark in the tone, along with the fact that it was clearly female, was how I identified the second voice: Harleigh. Which meant that the guy was more than likely Mike.  
“Why’s he naked in Gaskarth’s guest room anyway?”  
I could practically hear Harleigh’s eye-roll, the force of it was that powerful. “Why do you think? He hooked up with someone, and they must have ditched him.”  
Huh. I’d almost forgotten that Oli had fallen asleep beside me. Sure enough, there was a cold spot in the bed where my right arm had been curled around Oli’s body. That kind of sucked, that Oli skipped out on me like that, but I’d deal with that later. At the moment, my splitting headache was higher on my priority list than my latest conquest leaving me in bed alone.   
“Do either of you guys have aspirin?” Mike and Harleigh jerked at the sound of my voice, and I almost did, too. Wow. I’d forgotten that my after-sex voice was really gruff- well, gruff for me anyway. It probably sounded like a regular guy’s to anyone who hadn’t ever heard me speak before.  
I sat up and grimaced; moving too fast was a bad idea. Mike snickered, while Harleigh’s lips twitched before she went back to strumming a beat-up old guitar. I eyed it curiously, despite the pain in my head. “Where’d you get that?” She didn’t bring it with her; I would have noticed that. Well, I hope I would have noticed that.  
“Gaskarth’s bedroom. He’s got a few, he lets me use this one whenever he throws parties, as long as I promise to keep the stoners out of his room,” Harleigh replied, not looking up, too focused on the chords she was playing. I furrowed my brow, tapping along to the rhythm.  
“I know this song!”  
She rolled her eyes again, smirking at me. “I would damn well hope so, idiot. It’s a really good song. If you didn’t know it, I would start judging your music taste.”  
I flipped her off casually, and Mike laughed. “It’s… Is it Asking?”  
Harleigh grinned, nodding quickly. “Yeah. Now the title, big shot.” She waited while I thought, starting to sing quietly. “I’m okay, don’t worry, I wish I’d been a better kid, I’m trying to slow down, sorry for letting you down…”  
I bounced up and down excitedly before wincing. Not a good idea, K. “Someone Somewhere!”  
“Good job. Someone get the boy a cookie.”  
“What’s up your ass?” I retorted, rolling my eyes. “I thought pot was supposed to mellow you out, not make you bitchier than usual.”  
Mike froze, immediately paling and beginning to fidget. “P-pot? We didn’t…”   
“Cool it, I know. Not that I particularly care; it’s your life to live. Your brother knows, too, by the way; says they all figured it out months ago. And since they haven’t snitched you out to your parents, I’m pretty sure that means they’re cool with it.”  
Mike visibly relaxed, his goofy grin coming back. “Oh, okay, cool. Anyways, Harleigh doesn’t smoke, so she’s not relaxed. I mean, she might have a contact high, because she plays us music while we smoke, but she doesn’t directly inhale.”  
I raised a brow, looking at the girl with the guitar. “It fucks with my vocal chords,” Harleigh explained primly, and Mike smiled like only a man in love can. The kind of grin that would look completely stupid on anyone else, but on him it looked sweet. Kind of sickening, but still. Sweet.   
“So your boyfriend is a stoner,” Mike squawked indignantly at the term, but I brushed him off, “but you’re not?”  
Harleigh rolled her eyes. “Just because we’re together doesn’t mean we both do all of the same things. Mike doesn’t sing and I can’t play the drums to save my life. He can play the guitar, but he seems to enjoy banging shit more.”  
“Banging is pretty awesome,” Mike quipped, smirking at Harleigh, who blushed. “You always do that to me!” She whined, smacking his arm.   
“You can’t blame him, banging is fucking awesome,” I added, and Harleigh turned her glare on me. I shrugged. “What? It is, and you can’t even deny it! I’ve heard stories; Jaime says apparently you two are like rabbits.”  
“So, since we’re talking about banging… who was it, who’d you fuck?” The question, surprisingly, did not come from Mike, but Harleigh. I don’t know what it was about her that gave off this pretty, feminine vibe, since she had black hair, skinnies and band shirts, and a bunch of rubber bracelets adorning each wrist, but it threw me off every time I heard her cuss. Maybe it was my mom’s over-the-top example of women and the fact that I’d never really been friends with girls before, so I’d just expected them to be like the stereotypical teenage white girl. Either way, I liked Harleigh a lot, just how she was. Maybe girls weren’t all idiots and not worth my time.  
“Hello? What, are we speakin’ freakin’ French?” she demanded, towering over me.   
I flinched (in a totally manly way, dammit) back and pulled the blanket up my midriff. “Can I at least get dressed and not be naked before I get into telling you all who I screw?”  
“No offense, Kell, but I assumed you’d be the one, um, you know, getting screwed,” Mike offered (un)helpfully, although he did toss my clothes at me, one item by one, so that was pretty helpful.   
I glared at Harleigh until she rolled her eyes and moved back, grabbing my boxers and pulling the covers up over my head for a little privacy. “We’ve all seen dicks before, Kellin!” Harleigh teased, chuckling, and I rolled my eyes. Once my boxers were on, I threw the blankets off and climbed off the bed, pulling on my jeans, which was pretty fucking difficult since they were the tightest pair I owned and they hadn’t really gotten much stretching and I was a little sweaty.  
“So?” Both Harleigh and Mike asked simultaneously, eagerly. I rolled my eyes and focused on making myself look presentable.  
“Oliver. I slept with Oli Sykes,” I finally said, turning to meet their eyes. Mike looked shocked, but proud, while Harleigh looked more than a little impressed.  
“Nice! He’s fucking hot, Kell, sorry, babe.” Harleigh shot an apologetic smile at Mike, who rolled his eyes, muttering about ‘fucking English pretty boys’. Harleigh giggled, reaching for Mike’s hand and lacing their fingers together. “You know I love you, you complete dork. Don’t be a baby. Besides, it looks like Oliver and I aren’t on the same team.”   
Mike chuckled, shaking his head. “What I do for love… but on the real, Kell, you move pretty fast! What are you going to do about all this? I mean, are you going to pursue Oliver, or is this just a one-off…?”  
“I told you at the beginning I was a whore!” I protested, smirking. “I like sex, give me a break. Besides, I’m only seventeen once, might as well make the most of it. I’d rather wake up when I’m forty and regret the things that I did do than regret not doing anything at all. I’m going to regret things either way, but this way I get to have fun while I’m doing them.”  
“That didn’t answer the question,” Harleigh pointed out. “What are you going to do about Oli? He did leave you in bed alone.”  
“And didn’t Vic say that he’s your partner for your Advanced Music project?” Mike asked curiously.  
I sighed loudly. “Alright, alright, I get it! I need to talk to Oli. I’m sure he has an explanation for leaving me like this, it’s not like I’ve been a clingy girlfriend to him or anything. He talked to me after he blew me in the janitor’s closet at school and everything was fine!”  
“Wait, waitwaitwaitwait,” Harleigh said with a grin. “He blew you during school? When, what janitors closet, why, when?”   
I blushed. “Okay, I forgot I didn’t mention that to you guys. But can we not discuss this in a seedy bedroom where I just finished a one-night-stand at a party with people I just met?”  
“You just met Oli and you slept with him!” Mike cried. “And by that logic, you just met us, too!” Harleigh elbowed him.  
“Hush! We want him to tell us things, that’s not going to help any!” Harleigh turned back to me and gave me a serene smile. “Now, you were saying, sweets? Don’t mind my boyfriend, sometimes he forgets things. We’re your friends, now would you please tell us about the Hall-Closet Blowjob?”  
“It has an official name now?” I cocked a brow, and Harleigh pouted. “Fine, fine. So it happened today, so you can’t yell at me too much for not telling you guys. We were in class and he wanted me to sing for him but I told him no, so he said he’d kiss me if I did, so I said what if I don’t want you to kiss me, and then he told me to ask for the restroom pass and meet him in the hall, so I did… and, um, he dragged me into the closet and we started making out, and then, well, you know.”   
“Aw, Kellin’s all red!” Mike teased, while Harleigh giggled. She set the guitar down and grabbed my hand, tugging me into her lap. “You’re such a cutie, Kell, I can’t believe Oli left you after sex.”   
My cheeks flamed even more than they already were, and I squirmed in Harleigh’s grip. “I am still gay, you know, and your boyfriend is right there.”   
Harleigh rolled her eyes. “Please. If I wanted you, I could have you like that.” She snapped her fingers. “And Mikey too.”   
“Hey! I’m not just some object to be had, you know,” Mike grumbled, thrusting out his lower lip in a pout. Harleigh chuckled and squeezed his hand. “I’m joking, baby, totally joking. You’re all I’d ever need.”   
I mimed gagging, pulling off of Harleigh’s lap and collapsing onto the bed. “Ew, could you two be a little less vomit-inducing, please? The cuteness is killing me.”   
Both Harleigh and Mike rolled their eyes. “Suck it up, bitch!” Mike teased, leaning down to kiss Harleigh deeply, while she twined her arms around his neck.  
“Ugh, that’s it, I’m out of here.” I got up and headed for the door, but Harleigh and Mike both grabbed at me and held me back.  
“No, wait up, we’re coming too!”  
∞  
Naturally, when we found Vic, Jaime, and Tony, they were all pretty wasted. It was a party, that’s what teenagers do at parties, cool. But the actual shock was that it wasn’t just the three of them; there was a newcomer. Well, new to me, Mike, Harleigh and the guys seemed to all know him.   
Look, I’m not jealous over someone else hanging out with my new friends, I’m not that much of a baby, they can have other friends who aren’t me. The only reason I was shocked and a little irrationally upset was because this guy was fucking attractive, and Vic was literally hanging off of him. Kind of like a leech, but I didn’t like that comparison for Vic. Vic was too cute to be a leech, and he wasn’t annoying enough. More like a clingy girlfriend. Yeah, that sounds about right.   
Now I can’t tell you why I was upset about Vic clinging to this guy (bullshit, I could give you a detailed powerpoint presentation on why this pissed me off) but I digress.   
“Hey, guys… Who’s this?” Because, come on, asking who someone is isn’t mean… right?  
Vic peeled himself off of the dude and gave me a dopey grin. Holy shit, he was wasted, his eyes were completely glazed over and he didn’t seem to have the underlying contempt for me that he’d had every other time we had an interaction. “This is Patrick! He goes to Northridge, with Jack’s older sister. He’s a senior.” Vic looked up at Patrick adoringly, while the blond just blushed, ducking his face into Vic’s curls. There was definitely something between them.   
“Vic, shh, you get delusional when you’re drunk,” Patrick whispered, or at least tried to whisper, into Vic’s ear, brushing his lips against Vic’s temple. I resisted making a face or a gagging noise.   
Jaime snickered, hanging on Tony, although it looked less romantic than the way Vic hung on Patrick; I’m pretty sure Jaime just couldn’t stand on his own. “Dude, how much have you drank? I’ve only been gone for an hour!”  
Jaime cocked a brow. “Kells, you left us at eleven. It’s almost two now. So I’m a little wasted, fuck off,” he slurred, and I thanked god I was fluent in drunk or I wouldn’t have been able to understand a word of it. It helped a bit that I was still kind of drunk myself, even though I’d slept most of it off.   
Vic looked up with a worried expression on his face. “Two? Mom told us to be home by then!”   
Mike looked confused, but Jaime cried out dramatically, completely, genuinely upset. “No! We can’t upset Mama Fuentes, how are we gonna get home?”  
“I’m too drunk to drive, but I don’t want you guys to get in trouble,” Patrick murmured, looking down at Vic, his forehead creased.   
“Kellin’s sober!” Mike blurted, and I scowled at him. That was a total fucking lie, although I was probably the soberest of all of us.   
Patrick frowned, turning his gaze on me and looking me up and down. He looked back at Vic and then to me again, chewing his lower lip. “I don’t want Vi- I mean, I don’t want any of you to get in trouble, or grounded or anything… but I don’t want you to drive drunk either. So, walk in a straight line, Kellin. My friend’s dad does this kind of stuff all the time, he taught me and Pete how to do the DWI stuff.”   
I was about to reply with a snappy remark about who said he was the boss, but one look at Vic’s pleading face shut me up. He was using his big brown eyes for evil, and they were working. “Fine,” I muttered, making a big production of sighing and rolling my eyes. I heard someone mumble ‘drama queen’, but I couldn’t really place the voice and at that moment, I didn’t really care. Yeah, I was a bit of a drama queen. Who gave a fuck, I was busy.  
There was a quick scramble for something, which I soon found out was duct tape, and Patrick unglued Vic from his side to tape a line down on the kitchen tiles. He got back up, looking pretty pleased with himself. “Alright, Kellin, just walk that line and if you can do it, then you’re safe to drive.”  
I raised a brow. I was pretty sure that definitely wasn’t how it worked, but I didn’t want to get into trouble with Vic’s mom, especially since she basically owned two of my new friends until they were eighteen. So I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, and halfway across the kitchen, I grinned. This wasn’t too hard, maybe I wasn’t drunk after all.   
Finally, I’d managed to get all the way to the end of the tape with only one almost-stumble, which was passed off as simple clumsiness. Patrick still didn’t look too sure about letting me drive, but Vic leaned up and pecked his lips, smiling widely. “Don’t worry, P, we’ll be fine. And I won’t get grounded, which means I can see you whenever I want.” Patrick softened and I shook my head. Once again, Vic decided to use his powers for evil.   
∞

The next thing I knew, I was waking up on a soft bed with warm bodies next to me. I yawned and threw my arm over the person in front of me, burying my face into their back. “Mmm…” the person hummed, before turning over and leaning in to kiss me.  
I grinned, biting down on their lower lip before freezing. Lip ring, there was a fucking lip ring, no, abort mission, abort the fucking mission! “Dude, no!” I cried, grimacing and shoving Mike’s skinny chest.   
Mike’s eyes shot open, eyebrows pulling together. “Not… Harleigh?” He mumbled, as if to himself, before his eyes rounded and he screamed. “Ew, gross, gross, bleughhh!” He started wiping his mouth on his hands, cringing and looking completely horrified.   
I was going to say something, like maybe ask if he was going to be okay, or smack him for being a douche (I wasn’t that fucking awful to kiss, okay), but then there’s a peal of giggles coming from behind us and we both whipped around to see Harleigh sitting up, covers still covering her up to the waist, pointing her phone at us. “That was hilarious,” she cackled, bringing her phone down and typing away. “I got the whole thing on video, I swear to god, you two are better than a TV show.”   
Mike’s eyes got impossibly wider, and he groaned. “Please don’t show that to anyone!” he whined, pouting. I glanced at his lip ring and couldn’t help a delicate shudder.   
Harleigh snickered. “Oh, I’m showing it to everyone.”  
Mike whined and I was about to groan and shout at her, but the door opened and Jaime burst in, looking pained. “Guys, family meeting… Mama Fuentes is not happy.” With that, he left.   
Mike wrinkled his nose and sighed heavily. He got up quickly and put a hand to his head. “Whoa… head rush.”  
Harleigh followed behind him, crawling over me, and I scrunched up my face, confused. “Didn’t Jaime say it was a family meeting?”  
Harleigh chuckled and rolled her eyes. “We are family. The Fuentes think of us as family, and you’re a new part of the family, doofus. So come on, Mama Fuentes isn’t a person to be kept waiting.”  
∞

We ended up getting yelled at for a good half hour for driving drunk (apparently they were watching us when we got home last night, so our ‘Kellin was sober!’ defense fell through pretty quickly) and it was decided that this would be our warning. If it happened again, ‘bad things will happen’, a direct quote from Mrs. Fuentes, who wasn’t as kind when ‘her boys’ had been doing things she didn’t approve of. Our warning consisted of disapproving looks, harsh words from Mike and Vic’s dad about what could have happened to us, and Vic almost getting his car taken away. Luckily, we were able to guilt Mrs. Fuentes into letting him keep it, because, as Mike quickly pointed out, who would drive me to school? And Jaime and Tony lived pretty far away, and their parents worked, and so on. So Vic’s precious baby was safe, but he wasn’t allowed to go anywhere but school and home with it for a week, and we were all banished back to our homes so that Mike and Vic could think about their actions.   
Thankfully, my mom wasn’t around when I got home, so I didn’t have to get lectured more than once. I immediately headed to the bathroom, popping a few aspirin and ducking my head down to gulp water from the tap. From there, I went to my room and passed out.  
I was awoken a few hours later by a constant buzzing by my ear. I batted at it sleepily, but it wouldn’t stop, so I sighed and grabbed my phone, glaring at the screen. A local number was calling me, but since I’d only given out my phone number to Harleigh and the guys, and all of them were in my contacts, I figured it was probably someone trying to sell me something. I ignored the call and snuggled back into my pillows, hoping to return to dreamland.   
Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed. The number started calling me again, and I scowled, ignoring it again. Normally I’d answer and politely ask them to take me off of their calling list, but I had a hangover and I wasn’t exactly in the mood. I thought that would be the end of it, until my phone beeped with a text message, causing my brow to furrow.   
From Unknown: look, ik youre probably mad at me, but at least let me explain.  
I frowned and tapped my screen, replying quickly.   
/Who is this?/  
My phone dinged within seconds.  
/Oliver? Who did you think it was?/  
I thought you were a prank caller or something, who else calls at this hour? Besides, everyone I’ve given my number to is in my phone, and you aren’t. how did you get my number anyway?  
/Kel, its almost three in the afternoon. Everyone calls at this hour. And I texted myself from your phone last night before I left, I needed a way to get ahold of you. Can we please talk?/  
I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. I glanced at the time, and sure enough, it was two fifty-seven in the afternoon. I chewed my bottom lip, before replying.  
/Yeah, sure./  
/Okay, meet me at the park by fifth and elm? I want to do this in person. /  
∞

Oli was lounging on a park bench, long legs stretched out and looking at his phone. I couldn’t help but admire how good he looked, even if I was pissed that he left me, naked in bed, without a word.   
I walked up to him and sighed. “Well, I’m here,” I mumbled, kicking rocks beneath my feet. Oli smiled and stood up to greet me with a kiss on both cheeks and a firm embrace, but I shoved him away.   
Oli frowned, before sighing. He grabbed my hand and sat down, pulling me beside him. “Look, I’m sorry I left you, especially after amazing sex-”  
“Do you know how humiliating that was?” I cut him off, frowning. “You had my number apparently, you could have at least texted me. ‘Hey, thanks for the fuck, had some shit to do’, or something. You could have at least said bye. It’s not like I’m a clingy boyfriend who would beg you to stay- we’re just, well… whatever we are.”  
Oli looked uncomfortably sheepish. “I’m sorry, and you’ve got good points. I didn’t plan on leaving, if that helps my case any, but my brother had an emergency, and, well…” he shrugged. “But you’re right, I should have texted or something to let you know where I’d buggered off to.” He paused and squeezed my hand (I jumped a bit, I guess I’d forgotten that he still had hold of it) before continuing. “And as to what we are… I figured after I’m done apologizing and groveling for your forgiveness, maybe we could talk about that and decide on a title?” he gave a tentative grin that I couldn’t help but return. His smile widened and he grabbed my hips, lifting me onto his lap so that I was straddling him. I wanted to be upset with him for just doing it when I was supposed to be mad at him, but I couldn’t really find the anger. “I like you, Kell… You’re feisty and submissive, intelligent and beautiful, kind-”  
I scrunched up my face. “Kind?”  
Oli chuckled. “I know your friends must have told you the rumors about me-”  
“Rumors?” I squeaked, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “What-”  
Oli rolled his eyes, pressing a finger against my lips to get me to shut up. “Don’t worry, I already know about them, I know what everyone thinks about me. And yet, you’ve been nothing but nice to me, not even a sideways glance. You even let me flirt with you and are attracted to me without being afraid or worrying about what other people will think. That’s kindness.”   
I rolled my eyes, shrugging. I twined my arms around his neck before pecking his lips and smiling shyly. “I like you, too, and, besides… you aren’t that frightening. Mostly interesting. Rumors are stupid, they hardly ever get anything right.”   
Oli grinned widely, resting his hands on my hips. “So, now that we got that out of the way… what do you say, for the time being, we can do a trial and error type thing… we call our relationship… boyfriends?”  
My heart fluttered and it was all I could do not to blush like mad. “Oliver Sykes, are you asking me out?”  
“Yeah, I think I am,” Oli replied, chuckling.  
I laughed, threading my fingers in his hair. “I accept,” I murmured, pressing our lips together in a sweet, slow kiss.


	8. In Which I Simultaneously Have And Do Not Have A Boyfriend (Homophobes Suck)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (I'm an asshole. "This'll be updated soon!" I say as of like. a whole year ago. anyway. here's an actual chapter i've been working on forever.)

_ Dear Douchedick, _

 

_ It’s been two weeks since Oliver and I have gotten together officially, and, surprisingly, everything in my life seemed to be going pretty well. Oli and I were hanging out regularly, making out in the guise of working on our project; Harleigh and Mike were as strong as ever; Tony and Jaime were pretty much the same; and Vic was attempting to be nicer to me (although it didn’t seem nearly as hard as it did before, since he was following his new boyfriend’s example and trying to be a fucking saint.) So clearly, I should have been expecting everything to go to shit.  _

 

“Hi, Kellin,” Vic said cheerfully as I slid into the car beside Tony, and I grunted in greeting. I glanced into the backseat to find Mike and Harleigh making out while Jaime fought between grimacing and pouting.

 

“Why do  _ I _ have to sit back here? It’s so Tony’s turn to deal with this shit!” Jaime whined, aiming a kick at Mike’s thigh, but accidentally getting Harleigh’s knee, because the two were practically entwined together and it was honestly really difficult to tell which body part belonged to who.

 

“Ow!” Harleigh gasped, breaking apart from Mike to rub her knee. “What was that for?” 

 

Mike practically growled, pulling Harleigh even further onto his lap and smacking Jaime upside the head. “Yeah, dumbass, what in the fuck was that for? Don’t kick my fucking girlfriend!” 

 

Jaime groaned, burying his face in his hands. “Why me?” He moaned, and there was a brief scuffle which ended with Mike in a headlock, Jaime crowing in victory, and Harleigh scooted to the far side of the back seat, eyes rolling and muttering about her idiot friends and boyfriend, a grin tugging at the corners of her lips. 

 

I turned to Tony, who was shaking his head in amusement. “Is it like this  _ every _ morning?” I mumbled, brows knitting together in confusion. I wasn’t sure how any of them were functioning. It was too damn early.

 

Or maybe I’d just stayed up too late texting Oli and hadn’t gotten enough sleep. Nah. Totally not it.

 

Tony grinned, toying absently with his Padawan braid and nodding. “It depends, whoever sits back with Mike and Harleigh usually sets the tone for the morning, but other times if Harleigh gets a ride from her brother or something, then it’s usually a free-for-all on who gets front, so, yeah, kind of. Whenever Jaime is in the back seat with them, he mostly just complains the whole time, but other times it’s been known to get physical, like you see here. Especially if I call dibs on the front seat, when  _ technically _ , it’s my turn to sit with the tentacle-beast.” I frowned, and Tony’s grin widened as his cheeks reddened. “I forgot that not everyone actually knows our stupid terminology for stuff. Whenever Harleigh and Mike make out, we call them the tentacle-beast. They’re fused together so you can hardly tell where one begins and the other ends, and their limbs look like tentacles, and Mike might have shown us creepy tentacle porn that day, so it was already in our mind…” He shrugged, his cheeks beet-red.

 

I snickered. “Okay, that’s definitely something else. But tentacle porn? Seriously? What even is that?”

 

Tony gave a dark, traumatized look. “Trust me, you’re better off not knowing.”

 

I opened my mouth to argue, but Mike, Harleigh and Vic all looked queasy at the very mention of it; only Jaime was still grinning. Tony and Mike gave him incredulous looks, and he rolled his eyes. “Come on! It’s not like it got me off or anything,” a whine and ‘ew’ from Harleigh, “but you have to admit it was fucking hilarious, and the graphics on it were pretty spectacular.”

 

Vic shook his head, making a disgusted face. “Okay, whatever you say, freak,” he muttered, chuckling. 

 

“I’m not a freak!” Jaime huffed, pouting. He got very pointed looks, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “Whatever, you guys suck.”

 

Yup, today was off to a great start.

 

∞

 

It was made remarkably better when Oliver hesitantly joined our breakfast table, sliding in beside me while the guys fucked around and Harleigh had Mike quiz her for an chemistry quiz. Jaime and Vic paused, but only for a beat, then continued on with their conversation like nothing had happened, and Tony flickered his fingers and flashed a small smile. It wasn’t great, but it was better than I’d expected, considering I was still extremely new to this group, too. 

 

Still, I figured the tendency to be blunt would probably help me out here, too. “Guys, this is Oli,” I said slowly, hoping to prompt Jaime and Vic into at least greeting him.

 

Jaime frowned, looking at me like I was crazy. “I know that!” He cried indignantly, flipping me off without malice. He turned to Oli, his mouth stretched into a wide grin. “Sup, dude? I heard you’re banging Quinn. Respect. Not just any man could put up with his mouth.” He held up his hand for a fist bump, and Oli, first giving me a look that clearly said ‘what the fuck are your friends’, obliged.

 

I shrugged. “This is my life. Enjoy the view. It’s not always good but it never stops being entertaining.”

 

Vic tilted his head to the side and just stared at us for a long moment, before remembering  his manners, and apparently his role as inductor to the new people in the group. “Hi. I’m Vic; the one who never shuts up is Jaime; the one who never talks is Tony; the lovebirds are Mike and Harleigh, it doesn’t matter who you assign the names to because they’re always together; and you know Kellin.” He paused, as if trying to think of something he missed, then gave a little lopsided grin. “The last person we invited to sit at our table also got rides to and from school but the car is officially full now, so we could strap you to the roof, or just kick out Quinn and replace him with you.” 

 

The past two weeks had been a quick course of getting the entire group used to Oliver without actually making them be around him, and then slowly giving them doses of his presence without them realizing what was happening. I looked at it like boiling a frog: forcing them to hang out with someone they already had opinions about was bound to be a bad idea, but filling their ears with good things and then casually sticking around to finish a conversation while Oli stood with me, or doing that plus bringing up a topic I knew Oliver had opinions about, well, that was just smart. Stressful, but smart. Oliver’s stigma had all but been erased, or at least overlooked, something which Oli looked shocked to learn.

 

“Uh,” Oli started intelligently, flashing the smallest of smiles, “nah, I’m good. M’ dad drops off me and m’brother. But… thanks, mate.”

 

Vic nodded, quickly going back to his debate with Jaime. 

 

Oli turned to me with wide eyes, clearly not expecting what had just happened. I grinned, grabbing his hand and squeezing it gently. His lips tugged up into a small smile before his whole body froze for a moment- then he yanked his hand out of mine and pushed himself as far away from me as he could, accidentally bumping into Mike, who craned his neck to look around Oli to me, confused. He wasn't the only one. The whole table, including myself, had paused and were currently giving Oli strange looks. “Babe… what’s wrong?”

 

Oli was tense, his jaw tight and his words clipped. “My brother. He, uh. Nothing, never mind. I’ve got to go.”

 

“Will I see you later?” I sounded like a whiny bitch but I literally saw him for three seconds and then he was trying to flee. 

 

Oli bit his lip. “Meet me in the courtyard at 2:15?” He asked in a hushed whisper.

 

I sighed and agreed, reaching out to hug him, but stopping short at his flinch. He hurried away, and I was left to deal with my friends’ uncomfortable questions and confusion. 

 

∞

 

Having a secret boyfriend was… weird. This thing with Oli… well. It was definitely weird. Not that for one second I was convinced this was something serious; Oli even pulled me aside the morning after our last normal day, the day he had breakfast with the group, and told me that our relationship would have to be confined to out-of-school hours, which I was  _ not _ happy about. 

 

“You're the one who blew me at school!” I raged, scowling up at him. Damn him for being so tall.

 

Oli looked pained, and he glanced around to make sure no one overheard. I snorted- we were in the nearly abandoned courtyard. “Kellin… my dad, he’s getting suspicious. He doesn't know about me, and he wouldn't fancy the idea. My little brother started secondary this year as well, and he sees too much. Like the other morning? Tom reports back to our dad. Ever since Mum left, Tom’s grown close to the arse.”

 

Well, I couldn't argue with that, not without sounding like a primadonna or a bitchy, selfish boyfriend. 

 

So, for the past two weeks, Oli and I had been merely friends at school, and barely that. Our talking was limited to texting, and the one class we had together, which was spent actually working on our project, for two reasons: Oli had to fight his father for the right to take advanced music, and bringing home anything but a passing grade was out of the question, and I absolutely refused to flunk the one class that I enjoyed, outside of art. Oli was adamantly against sitting with my friends at lunch or before school. 

 

While all of this made (semi) perfect sense to me, my friends cared for me and were not so easily convinced. 

 

“So you're basically his dirty little secret,” Harleigh said baldly, quirking a brow as she worked on the block of modeling clay that she was slowly transforming into…. something. 

 

I looked to Mike for support but he shrugged. As usual, he agreed with his girlfriend. It would have been annoying if it wasn't for the fact that they weren't kowtowing to each other; they just generally had similar opinions on things. 

 

No, fuck that- it was still annoying as hell. 

 

“That's not… it's not like… he's just…” I slumped forward and groaned. “Fine, okay, maybe. But it isn't his fault.”

 

Harleigh rolled her eyes. “I know I'm straight and therefore I don't have a right to say this, but it would be nice if he would tell his dad to fuck off, or even just his little brother. You get all… mopey. Especially when Mike and I are around, or you see Vic texting Patrick.” The clay was beginning to take a more definite shape. “I can tell you're sad, even if Dick One and Two are too absorbed in their signifs to be aware.”

 

Mike squawked indignantly. “Hey! I'm not a dick, and you  _ are _ my significant other.” 

 

Harleigh grinned, trailing her fingers over the back of Mike’s calf. “I know I am. But seriously,” she returned her focus to me, “I worry, Kell.”

 

I sighed. It was nice of her to worry about me, but she was right when she said she had no room to comment on the situation. She didn't know what it was like to come out of the closet, especially to someone who you knew wouldn't be supportive. Unfortunately, not everyone was as accepting as my mom and Vic’s parents. “It sucks having a boyfriend, but also, not really having one, but I get it, and I don't blame him.” Even though sometimes, like when he would see me coming in the halls at school, and he would duck away to avoid me… I did blame him. Just for a microsecond. “What is that supposed to be, anyway?”

 

Harleigh looked a tad miffed, and frowned. “It's a goddess.” She glanced down at the clay and sighed. “In progress.”

 

I eyed the lump of clay critically. Maybe if I squinted, it vaguely resembled a humanoid shape. Sort of. “It looks more like a misshapen dildo.”

 

Harleigh scowled and tossed a pillow at my head, while Mike laughed in the background. He looked up from his laptop and flashed a toothy grin. “He's right, babe. Why don't you just draw her? Sculpture isn't really your thing, you told me yourself.”

 

“It's a thing for that college art class I'm taking,” she mumbled, wrapping her fingers around the head (of the goddess, or the dick, whatever your interpretation) and viciously pulled it off. Youch! “It  _ has  _ to be a fucking sculpture. ‘ _ Something out of your comfort zone _ !’” 

 

“Maybe you need a break?” Mike suggested, looking over at me and nodding enthusiastically. I wasn't going to finish my paper anyway, and it looked like Mike might die if he had to sit still any longer. 

 

“Yeah, a break sounds like a good idea. Let's get something to eat, then come back up.” Harleigh agreed reluctantly, setting her smashed block of clay on the bedside table.

 

I squeezed out of the doorway before they even got to their feet; Vic and Mike’s grounding had ended a few days ago, and their dad had made a huge dinner to celebrate. I wasn't about to let Mike get that last slice of garlic bread. 

 

As I rummaged through the fridge for some leftover lasagna, though, I heard something strange. Giggling. Which was weird because it was a voice I knew. One that did  _ not _ giggle. 

 

I crept over to the door leading into the basement, kneeling down and sitting on the first step. That was a perfect spot to hear what was going on down stairs. 

 

“...Patrick, don’t,” Vic’s voice was breathy and barely discernable. “My parents are upstairs, and my little brother and his girlfriend.” 

 

There was a pause, then Vic giggled again, softer than before. “Kellin, too, but I doubt he would find it as upsetting as my parents and Mike.” 

 

I bit back a snort. Of course he wouldn’t think I’d find whatever they were doing upsetting. He didn’t have a high enough opinion of me for that.  

 

“Kellin! If you stole that garlic bread, I’m going to beat your ass!”

 

I jumped at the sound of Mike’s voice, swearing silently as I knocked the door wide open, the soft thud echoing down the stairs. I scrambled to my feet before I could get caught in a compromising position, although I was  _ sure _ that Vic and Patrick were in a much more compromising one. 

 

I waited until I was further away to shout back at Mike. “I did, and I’m not sharing!”

 

“You're a fucking asshat, Quinn,” Mike muttered, punching my shoulder. I grinned and just stuffed the slice of bread into my mouth. 

 

“He's going to hurt you, K,” Harleigh warned, using her hip to bump me out of her way. 

 

I shrugged, and I began to regret wasting the bread just to piss off my friend. Especially since I was having a difficult time breathing, and it was crammed in so tightly that my only option was to wait for my saliva to soften it enough to swallow. While I waited, I heard creaking and groaning of wood that signaled someone was coming up from the basement, abusing the poor stairs. 

 

Vic appeared first, looking sheepish, and behind him Patrick came, with a silly smile on his lips. He clumsily pecked Vic, meaning to get his cheek but just missing at kissing his ear instead. His pale cheeks flushed with color, and he waved awkwardly to each of us, before leaving. 

 

“What in the actual hell.” Harleigh voiced what I assume we were all thinking. 

 

All, but Mike, it seemed. “What?”

 

Harleigh ignored her boyfriend, crossed her arms over her chest, glared at Vic, and waited.

 

It didn't take long for Vic to spill, albeit reluctantly. “‘Trick came over earlier, when you were all out… we fell asleep, then escaped to the basement when we realized you guys were home. He's got curfew on weekends.”

 

“Oh, I bet he  _ came _ , alright,” I muttered, after I finally had control of my mouth again. 

 

“What was that, Quinn?” Vic barked, but Harleigh already had her hand on his arm, shooting me a murderous glare. 

 

“Kellin says he's sorry, don't you, Kellin? You're just being a little bit of a bitch because you miss your own boyfriend.” Her tone clearly said, go along with this or die, so I nodded emphatically, narrowing my eyes so she wouldn't think I was completely complacent. Bringing up Oli like that was a low blow. 

 

“So sorry that I'm going to get out of your hair,” I parried, lifting a brow and shrugging. “Clearly I'm in need of a mood lifter, so I'll go find my boyfriend, who I miss so badly.”

 

∞

 

“Fuck, Oli, oh my god,” I hissed, gripping the end table so hard my knuckles turned white. I was bent over, the sharp corners biting into my belly, while Oliver grunted behind me, a string of obscenities falling from his lips between kisses along my neck and shoulder blades. Yeah, maybe I sought out my boyfriend specifically for sex after I heard Vic and Patrick making out in the basement. But that didn't mean anything other than I missed Oli. Right?

 

It didn’t take Oli long to finish, and he courteously finished me off, as well, even if I was a little put out that he didn’t last longer. He yanked up his shorts and sat down on the couch, sighing loudly. He circled my wrist with his long, spindly fingers, smiling shyly. “Sorry, mate. Been a few weeks since we’ve been able to do anything.” 

 

I resisted the urge to snap at him that it was his fault, but my ass ached more than I thought it would. To be fair, I hadn’t had anything up it since we last fucked, which was strange enough on it’s own, and we hadn’t exactly taken our time with prep, so it was mostly my fault I was grumpy. Thankfully, I was still pretty boneless from coming, so I just grunted and slid down to the floor, laying my head against Oli’s thigh. I couldn’t help but smile when his fingers threaded through my sweaty mop, pushing it back away from my face. 

 

“Such a pretty face,” Oli murmured, tugging lightly on a strand of hair. I rolled my eyes and pressed my ‘pretty face’ closer against his skin. Despite being aggravated that our relationship was almost instantly eclipsed by his need to trick his father into believing he was straight, his affection did wonders for my hurt feelings. 

 

I pressed my lips against Oli’s thigh. “What do you want to do with the rest of the night? My mom’s shift doesn’t end until midnight, and we have three hours until you have to be home.”

Oli had managed to escape his father’s watchful eye by asking one of his female friends to pretend to be his date. He was supposed to be back by eleven, and we had already used up twenty getting him here, another fifteen making out, and about ten actually fucking. And honestly, it was getting a little awkward. We hadn’t actually talked very much at all lately, and it spending time alone together suddenly seemed daunting.

 

Oli shrugged, carding his fingers through my hair. “We could have a lie down, maybe go again in a bit,” he suggested, a yawn slipping out.

 

A nap wasn't exactly what I'd had in mind, but that also included cuddling up to my boyfriend. “Sounds good to me. Want to actually see my bedroom this time?” I was still a little shocked that we hadn't even managed to make it out of the living room. Thank god my mom didn't come home from work early.

 

Oliver’s expression turned chagrined, and a cute little grin transformed his features. He could look pretty forbidding sometimes, but to me, he was usually all smiles. “I'd love to see your bedroom, Kellin. And possibly, never leave it.”


End file.
